Morgan Stanley Cuts Vistra (VST) Price Target to $226

Morgan Stanley reiterated its Overweight rating on Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) on October 21, 2026, while trimming its price target from $227 to $226. The research update provides a fresh look at where the power producer stands as Wall Street weighs its growth outlook. Vistra closed at $158.68 on the day of the announcement.

VST Vistra Corp.

$158.45 ▼ -3.68% year to date

1M 3M YTD

Daily close · Oct 21, 2026

Morgan Stanley's Call on Vistra Corp.

On October 21, 2026, the analyst team at Morgan Stanley kept an Overweight rating on Vistra while nudging down the price target by a dollar to $226 from $227. Other firms have also weighed in on the stock recently. On August 24, Mizuho initiated coverage with an Outperform rating and a $169 target, followed by Bernstein reiterating an Outperform rating and an $181 target on October 1. BMO Capital maintained an Outperform rating on October 5 while lowering its target from $231 to $210, and CIBC initiated coverage with an Outperformer rating and a $201 target on October 16. Across Wall Street, the stock carries a consensus recommendation key of strong_buy from 21 analysts, with a mean price target of $210.10.

Vistra Corp. Stock Up 2.7%

Vistra shares recently traded around $157.84, which is down about 0.5% from their event-day close of $158.68. The stock is sitting 8.8% above its 50-day moving average of $145.06 and 2.1% above its 200-day moving average of $154.53. At the same time, the shares trade 22.5% below their 52-week high of $203.66 and 19.0% above their 52-week low of $132.66.

Recent Earnings

For the trailing twelve months, Vistra reported $19.2 billion in revenue and earnings of $5.93 per share. The company generated a net profit margin of 11.6% and a return on equity of 43.0%. Investors will get an updated look at the company's financial health when it reports its next earnings on November 6, 2026.

Dividend

Vistra pays an annual dividend of $0.92 per share, translating to a dividend yield of 0.61%. The company's dividend payout ratio stands at 15.3%, leaving room for earnings to support payouts.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra Corp.

Company insiders have made several stock transactions in recent months. On September 8, Chief Financial Officer Kristopher E. Moldovan sold 20,000 shares at an average price of $151.03 for a total value of $3.0 million. On the same day, officer Scott A Hudson disposed of 44,444 shares valued at $6.7 million. Hudson later sold another 22,222 shares on October 6 at $160.14 per share, totaling $3.6 million. Additionally, Moldovan sold another 20,000 shares on October 7 at $165.00 per share for a total of $3.3 million.

About Vistra Corp.

Vistra Corp. operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company in the United States. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, the company supplies electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across multiple states and the District of Columbia through its various operating segments.

Bottom Line

Morgan Stanley's updated target keeps the focus on Vistra's market position as an independent power producer. Investors will be watching the upcoming earnings release on November 6, 2026, for further clues on profitability and demand trends.