Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 4.2% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) rose 4.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $123.73 and last traded at $119.19. Approximately 4,709,910 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 7,465,228 shares. The stock had previously closed at $114.36.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Up 2.5 %

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $155.96 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $136.40. The stock has a market cap of $41.13 billion, a PE ratio of 22.26, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $0.2235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the sale, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.