Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 5.8% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded down 5.8% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $108.43 and last traded at $108.68. 871,590 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 9,042,632 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI started coverage on Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lowered their target price on Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $166.17.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $35.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $127.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $141.25.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position 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. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted 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 buying an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.