Vistra Corp. (VST) is a leading integrated retail electricity and power generation company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates one of the largest competitive power portfolios in the United States for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Vistra owns and operates a diversified fleet of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery storage assets. The company has a market cap of $52.7 billion, making it one of the largest independent power producers in North America.
Shares of this company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. VST stock has soared just 1% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied 27.9%. Moreover, shares of the company have declined 3.1% on a YTD basis, lagging behind the SPX’s 9.2% rise.
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Looking closer, shares of Vistra have underperformed the State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLU) 13.2% rise over the past 52 weeks and 6.2% return in 2026.
www.barchart.com Vistra stock slumped in 2026 primarily because investors began reassessing the company’s prospects amid the changing regulatory dynamics. Investors reacted negatively to regulatory proposals in the PJM power market aimed at capping electricity prices, which could limit profit upside for merchant power producers like Vistra.
For fiscal 2026, analysts expect VST’s EPS to grow 76.8% year-over-year to $9.30. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in three of the last four quarters while missing on another occasion.
Among the 17 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a “Strong Buy,” despite the underperformance. That’s based on 16 “Strong Buy” ratings and one “Hold.”
www.barchart.com This configuration is slightly less bullish than two months ago, when there were 17 “Strong Buy” ratings.
This month, Jefferies lowered its price target on Vistra to $190 from $192 while maintaining a “Buy” rating.
The mean price target of $231.75 represents a premium of 48.3% to VST’s current price. The Street-high price target of $295 suggests a 88.8% potential upside.
On the date of publication, Subhasree Kar did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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