Why was VST stock down, and why did it rise on Friday?

VST fell 9.8% over five trading days, closing at $124.8 on Nov. 6, 2026. When a stock drops like this, investors first ask whether the problem is the company or its broader sector.

To answer that question, we compare VST with its closest peers. We also check the calendar for earnings and Fed dates, alongside Vistra Corp.'s latest SEC filings and insider trades.

The chart below tracks VST's daily closing price from May 13, 2026 to Nov. 6, 2026. Over that stretch, shares fell 12.2% from $142.18 to $124.80. The stock hit a high of $168.70 on July 23, 2026 and a low of $112.89 on Nov. 5, 2026. Red circles mark 6 weeks of open-market insider sales, with larger circles showing larger dollar amounts. Green diamonds mark 2 weeks of insider purchases.

What could be behind the VST move

The company reported earnings 2 days ago on Nov. 6, 2026.

Company filings in the last weeks: 8-K on Nov. 5, 2026 (Unregistered share sale (8-K 3.02)); 8-K on Oct. 5, 2026 (Debt financing (not convertible)); 8-K on Sept. 24, 2026 (Debt financing (not convertible)).

Across the broader market, an existing uptrend faces stress while the VIX volatility index sits at 28.18. The Federal Reserve's next rate decision is on Dec. 9, 2026, 31 days away. Market pricing puts the odds at 22% for a hold, 76% for a hike, and 2% for a cut.

Also worth knowing about VST

Live VST data, updated every 30 minutes: VST insider trades, ownership and filings →

What would change the picture for VST

These are the specific events and levels to watch. None of them is a prediction.

• Insider buying shows 1 insider bought $1.2 million in 90 days. More purchases would strengthen that signal, while sales by the same people would weaken it.
• Analyst ratings saw their average score move from 4.17 to 4.21 over three months. This uses a scale where 5 is strong buy and 1 is strong sell. A run of downgrades after earnings usually shows up here first.
• Regarding price levels, a close above $189.86 would be a new 52-week high, 52.1% above the latest close of $124.8. A close below $112.89 would be a new 52-week low, 9.5% below it.
• Revenue rose 3.8% year over year in the quarter ending Jun 2026, showing an accelerating trend. At a P/E of 21.1, a growth slowdown would matter more than at a lower multiple.
• For new shares, dilution risk is currently moderate. A new shelf registration (S-3) or prospectus supplement (424B) for an offering would raise it.

VST history: what happened after similar moves

Since 2023, VST fell 20.1% or more in a month 2 times (separate episodes, not counting the current one). Three months later it was higher in 2 of 2 cases; the median change was +45.2%.

Past moves don't predict the next one; they show how volatile the stock has been.

Questions people also ask

What is VST's 52-week high and low?

Over the past year, VST closed as high as $189.86 and as low as $112.89. At $124.8 on Nov. 6, 2026, it is down 34.3% from the high and 10.6% above the low.

Do analysts think VST is a buy?

22 of the 24 analysts who cover Vistra Corp. rate it a buy or strong buy, for a consensus of Buy. Ratings describe analysts' views, not a guarantee, and they change after earnings.

Does VST pay a dividend?

Yes, the company paid $0.91 per share over the last 12 months, which is about 0.73% at today's price.

Is Vistra Corp. profitable?

Yes. Vistra Corp. had $19.2 billion of revenue over the last 12 months. The company posted a net margin of 11.6% and carries a P/E of 21.1.

Are VST insiders buying or selling?

Yes. Over the last 90 days, 1 insider bought $1.2 million of VST on the open market, while 2 sold $16.6 million.

Is Vistra Corp. issuing new shares?

Dilution risk reads moderate at 35/100, while the share count fell 0.9% in a year. That score comes from 1 offering-related filing in 12 months.

Dates to watch for VST

Insider trades can come any day: they must be filed on Form 4 within two business days.

Key terms on this page

P/E ratio

Price divided by the last 12 months of earnings per share. A P/E of 20 means investors pay $20 for each $1 of yearly profit. It is only defined when the company is profitable.

Form 4

The SEC form a company's officers, directors and 10% owners must file within two business days of buying or selling its stock.

Open-market trade

A purchase or sale on the exchange at the market price, paid with the insider's own money (code P or S on Form 4), as opposed to option exercises, grants or gifts.

Dilution

When a company issues new shares, each existing share owns a smaller piece of the company. Common sources: stock offerings, convertible debt and large stock-based pay.

Form 8-K

The SEC form for material events between quarterly reports: earnings releases, deals, executive changes, stock offerings and similar news.

52-week high / low

The highest and lowest daily closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days).

Analyst consensus

The average of Wall Street analysts' ratings (strong buy to strong sell). Analysts skew positive, so a hold is often read as a cautious view.

Where these numbers come from

Every number on this page is computed from the data when the page is refreshed (usually daily); nothing is typed in by hand. This is information, not investment advice.

• Price tracking uses daily closing prices through Nov. 6, 2026. Calculations use changes across 5, 21, and 63 trading days, while the 52-week range uses the last 252 closes.
• Insider trades use SEC Form 4 filings for the last 90 days. Data counts only open-market purchases (code P) and sales (code S). Option exercises, grants, gifts, and filings with data errors are left out.
• Analyst ratings: counts of current ratings from 24 analysts, compared with three months ago.
• Earnings dates and estimates rely on a market-data calendar. This metric compares reported against expected EPS for the last 4 quarters.
• Valuation and growth metrics draw revenue, earnings, margins, and share counts from SEC filings (XBRL data, latest quarter Jun 2026). The P/E and price/sales ratios use the latest close.
• Fund ownership details come from SEC Form 13F filings for Q2 2026.
• Dilution evaluates share-count changes and offering-related SEC filings over two years, scoring them from 0-100. Filings include shelf registrations, prospectus supplements, and convertible notes.
• History tracks 21-trading-day moves over about three years of daily closes, counting each episode once.