Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 0.6% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 0.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $168.00 and last traded at $170.64. 2,023,593 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 9,897,394 shares. The stock had previously closed at $171.61.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VST. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 target price for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $171.64.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $56.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $157.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $4.01. The business had revenue of $6.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.96 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 57.63%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.25 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % 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 worth $55,087,314 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its stake in Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.