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VSTVistra Corp.Sell6.4·$162.38-0.68%
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

Vistra Corp is an independent power producer with 43% revenue growth, a forward P/E of 14.0x, and 32% analyst upside to $202.76 — but the stock has crossed into a death cross pattern below all moving averages, missed earnings in 3 of the last 4 quarters, and carries a debt-to-equity ratio that imposes a -1.5 leverage penalty, making this a high-upside bet on a technically broken chart.

Thesis pillars

  • Strong Revenue Growth Ai Power DemandStable
  • Consecutive Earnings MissesStable
  • Death Cross Falling Knife PatternStable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

Vistra Corp. (VST) Stock Analysis

Recovery setup

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5Moderate Confidence

Utilities · Utilities - Independent Power Producers

Sell if holding. Momentum 4.3/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $162.38 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Leverage penalty (D/E 3.6): -1.5; Concentration risk — Commodity: natural gas (62.0%).

Vistra Corp. is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company operating in 18 states and the District of Columbia, with approximately 44,000 MW of generation capacity and approximately 5 million retail customers. Revenue comes from retail electricity sales... Read more

$162.38+23.5% A.UpsideScore 6.4/10#1 of 7 Utilities - Independent Power Producers
QualityF-score7 / 9FCF yield0.87%
IncomeYield0.56%(5y avg 1.82%)Payout15.15%sustainable
Stop $151.01Target $200.60(analyst − 10%)A.R:R 1.6:1
Analyst target$222.89+37.3%18 analysts
$200.60our TP
$162.38price
$222.89mean
$99
$320

Sell if holding. Momentum 4.3/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $162.38 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Leverage penalty (D/E 3.6): -1.5; Concentration risk — Commodity: natural gas (62.0%). Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 65. Score 6.4/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 7/9 gates (favorable risk/reward ratio, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 37d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and death cross (50MA < 200MA). Suitability: aggressive.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-06-29
TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Thu, Aug 6, 202637d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
Attractive valuation
Strong growth profile
Analyst upside: 24%
Risks
Concentration risk — Commodity: natural gas (62.0%)
Leverage penalty (D/E 3.6): -1.5
Consecutive earnings misses (4)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)27.3
P/E (Fwd)14.9
Mkt Cap$55.1B
EV/EBITDA11.3
Profit Mgn11.5%
ROE42.9%
Rev Growth43.4%
Beta1.41
Dividend0.56%
Rating analysts23

Quality Signals

Piotroski F7/9MoatNarrow

Options Flow

P/C1.03bearish
IV60%elevated

Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)

  • HIGHCommoditynatural gas62%
    10-K Item 1: 'Natural Gas| | CCGT, CT or ST| | 26,989 | | | 62%'
  • MEDIUMGeographicTexas
    10-K Item 1: 'The largest portion of our retail operations are in Texas, where we provide retail electricity to approximately 2.6 million customers.'

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

2 floor-breakers·1 ceiling hit

Technicals below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Support Resistance
2.7
Bollinger
2.9
52w Position
4.8

No near-term catalyst priced in. Thesis progression will come from fundamentals grinding, not event reaction.static

Earnings History
0.0
Surprise Avg
0.0
Erm
5.0
Earnings Timing
5.0
Dividend Safety
5.2
News Activity
8.0
Earnings concerns: 0B/4MDividend: 56.0%
GatesMomentum 4.3<4.5Death cross (50MA < 200MA)A.R:R 1.6 ≥ 1.5Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 37d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARRecoverySuitability: Aggressive
RSI
65 · Neutral
20D MA 50D MA 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $137.72Resistance $171.35

Price Targets

$151
$201
A.Upside+23.5%
A.R:R1.6:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! momentum at 4.3 (below the engine's 4.5 threshold)
! Death cross — 50-day MA below 200-day MA

Earnings

M
M
M
M
0/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-08-06 (37d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is VST stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Momentum 4.3/10 is below the 5.0 floor at $162.38 — engine's falling-knife protection flags exit rather than catching a breakdown. Specifics: Leverage penalty (D/E 3.6): -1.5; Concentration risk — Commodity: natural gas (62.0%). Chart setup: Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 65. Prior stop was $151.01. Score 6.4/10, moderate confidence.

What is the VST stock price target?

Take-profit target: $200.60 (+23.5% upside). Prior stop was $151.01. Stop-loss: $151.01.

What are the risks of investing in VST?

Concentration risk — Commodity: natural gas (62.0%); Leverage penalty (D/E 3.6): -1.5; Consecutive earnings misses (4).

Is VST overvalued or undervalued?

Vistra Corp. trades at a P/E of 27.3 (forward 14.9). TrendMatrix value score: 7.5/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about VST?

23 analysts cover VST with a consensus score of 4.2/5. Average price target: $223.

What does Vistra Corp. do?Vistra Corp. is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company operating in 18 states and the District...

Vistra Corp. is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company operating in 18 states and the District of Columbia, with approximately 44,000 MW of generation capacity and approximately 5 million retail customers. Revenue comes from retail electricity sales through brands including TXU Energy, Ambit Energy, and Energy Harbor, combined with merchant wholesale generation dispatched across ERCOT, PJM, ISO-NE, MISO, NYISO, and CAISO markets.

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