Vistra Corp's Stock Declines Amid Acquisition News
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 29 2026
0mins
Should l Buy VST?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Vistra Corp's stock fell by 5.01% today, crossing below the 5-day SMA, as the broader market showed slight gains with the Nasdaq-100 up 0.22% and the S&P 500 up 0.05%.
This decline occurs despite the announcement of Vistra's acquisition of Cogentrix Energy for approximately $4 billion, which is expected to enhance its generation capacity significantly. The acquisition includes 10 modern natural gas generation facilities, showcasing Vistra's commitment to expanding its footprint in the energy market. However, the market's overall strength did not translate into positive momentum for Vistra's stock, indicating a potential sector rotation.
The implications of this acquisition are substantial, as it diversifies Vistra's generation portfolio and positions the company to meet growing electricity demand. Investors will be closely watching how this strategic move impacts Vistra's financial performance in the coming years.
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Analyst Views on VST
Wall Street analysts forecast VST stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for VST is 240.09 USD with a low forecast of 217.00 USD and a high forecast of 287.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
11 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 143.070
Low
217.00
Averages
240.09
High
287.00
Current: 143.070
Low
217.00
Averages
240.09
High
287.00
About VST
Vistra Corp. is an integrated retail electricity and power generation company that provides essential resources to customers, businesses, and communities from California to Maine. It operates a reliable power generation fleet of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities while taking an innovative, customer-centric approach to its retail business. Its segments include Retail, Texas, East, West, and Asset Closure. The Retail segment is engaged in retail sales of electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers. The Texas and East segments are engaged in electricity generation, wholesale energy sales and purchases, commodity risk management activities, fuel procurement, and logistics management. The West segment represents results from the CAISO market, including its battery ESS projects at its Moss Landing power plant site. The Asset Closure segment is engaged in the decommissioning and reclamation of retired plants and mines.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- EBITDA Forecast Increase: By incorporating the Meta power purchase agreement into its forecast, Goldman raised Vistra's FY 2027 EBITDA estimates by 5%, indicating the company's ability to secure sizable PPA contracts despite policy uncertainties.
- Price Protection Analysis: The analyst noted that Vistra's current stock price implies an average future power price of $49/MWh, below the current forward average of $58/MWh, suggesting limited upside around incremental PPAs or power price appreciation.
- Fundamental Outlook: Despite market volatility and risks around signing PPAs, Goldman remains constructive on Vistra's fundamentals, believing that its retail operations and capacity revenues help mitigate business volatility.
See More
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