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

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $114.41, but opened at $117.00. Vistra shares last traded at $117.00, with a volume of 660,891 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Down 2.6 %

The company has a market capitalization of $37.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.81, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $159.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.40. 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 company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business’s 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 sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.