Mixed Analyst Sentiment on Vistra (VST) Amid Increasing Regulatory Risk and Long-Term Contract Wins

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is included in our list of the best AI energy stocks to buy now.

On January 15, 2026, Jefferies stated that it is seeing heightened regulatory risk for established power producers. The cautious sentiment builds following reports of potential PJM market intervention aimed at electricity affordability and reliability. As a result of this development, Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s shares experienced a 9% decline. The firm emphasized net risk to existing assets from market intervention as a key contributor to the sharp pullback in the stock.

Still, Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) continues to draw positive analyst attention amid operational excellence and long-term contracting. On January 12, 2026, the company announced a 20-year nuclear power purchase agreement with Meta for 2.6 GW. With this move, Vistra aims to improve long-duration, zero-carbon revenue visibility. Amid this major development, Scotiabank increased its price target to $293, while reiterating an ‘Outperform’ rating, and UBS raised its target to $233 with a ‘Buy’ rating. Additionally, BofA reduced its price target to $218 on lower gas premiums, raising FY26-FY27 estimates. The firm’s optimism reflects a benefit from PJM PPAs and updated generation assumptions.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) focuses on generating and selling electricity and natural gas across multiple U.S. regions.

While we acknowledge the potential of VST as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

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Disclosure: None.