Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 0.1% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was up 0.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $149.35 and last traded at $145.22. Approximately 1,162,065 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 6,769,780 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on VST. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Down 0.2 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $49.28 billion, a PE ratio of 27.09, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $139.47 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $105.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a $0.221 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VST. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company operates through six segments: Retail, Texas, East, West, Sunset, and Asset Closure. It retails electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across states in the United States and the District of Columbia.