Vistra (NYSE:VST) Upgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein to Strong-Buy Rating

Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on VST. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price target on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Vistra from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $230.44.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $158.57 on Tuesday. Vistra has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.47 billion, a PE ratio of 26.56 and a beta of 1.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $153.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $159.72.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 9.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.229 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,561,600. This represents a 32.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,109,918. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 10,088 shares of company stock worth $1,634,227. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the third quarter worth $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Strive Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

About Vistra

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.