Insider Selling: Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) EVP Sells 115,000 Shares of Stock

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Vistra Stock Down 5.0 %

Shares of Vistra stock opened at $154.54 on Thursday. 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 Corp. has a 52-week low of $34.88 and a 52-week high of $168.67. The company has a market capitalization of $52.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a 50 day moving average of $129.97 and a 200 day moving average of $101.03.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blankinship & Foster LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,353,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Vistra in the third quarter valued at approximately $263,000. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the third quarter valued at approximately $351,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 41.9% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 129,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $15,320,000 after purchasing an additional 38,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $208,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group lowered their price target on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

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.