Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 2.2% Higher – Still a Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price was up 2.2% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $109.18 and last traded at $100.19. Approximately 5,328,844 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 32% from the average daily volume of 7,806,108 shares. The stock had previously closed at $98.07.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Vistra in a report on Friday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price target for the company. Daiwa America upgraded Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.23.

Vistra Price 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 business’s 50 day simple moving average is $139.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $34.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.87%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is 12.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased 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 owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,539,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,174,326,000 after acquiring an additional 219,055 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew 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 purchasing an additional 2,433,732 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Vistra by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,026,484 shares of the company’s stock valued at $417,261,000 after purchasing an additional 296,714 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $409,087,000. Finally, Castle Hook Partners LP raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 2,964,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $408,677,000 after purchasing an additional 353,949 shares during the period. 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.