Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 1.8% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was down 1.8% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $122.28 and last traded at $124.03. Approximately 1,278,864 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 7,484,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on VST shares. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective 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. Finally, Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Down 0.2 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $154.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.71. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $42.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the director now owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. The trade was a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.