Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 5.4% Higher – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares traded up 5.4% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $138.21 and last traded at $137.65. 2,158,251 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 7,484,700 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.58.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Up 3.0 %

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $151.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $139.08. The company has a market capitalization of $45.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. 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 Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is 12.62%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $409,087,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its stake in Vistra by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,260,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $863,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,433,732 shares during the period. Capital International Investors acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $286,414,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $237,441,000. Finally, Appaloosa LP lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 112.5% during the 4th quarter. Appaloosa LP now owns 2,700,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,249,000 after acquiring an additional 1,429,612 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.