Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 3.6% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shot up 3.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $122.29 and last traded at $122.19. 2,122,172 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average session volume of 7,496,821 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.00.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The company has a market cap of $42.20 billion, a PE ratio of 23.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $155.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $136.40.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.62%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Centaurus Financial Inc. increased its stake in Vistra by 213.4% in the 4th quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 6,479 shares of the company’s stock valued at $893,000 after buying an additional 4,412 shares during the period. Anchor Pointe Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $271,000. IronOak Wealth LLC. purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $862,000. Castle Rock Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $562,000. Finally, Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $216,000. 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.