Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 0.4% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price rose 0.4% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $120.18 and last traded at $116.31. Approximately 1,759,162 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 7,866,997 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.87.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. 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 research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. 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.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $166.17.

Vistra Trading Down 0.5 %

The firm has a market cap of $39.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.50, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. 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 50-day moving average price of $127.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.08.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were issued a $0.2235 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought 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 in the company, valued at $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.