Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 2.9% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares shot up 2.9% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $137.76 and last traded at $136.68. 1,538,458 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 6,741,108 shares. The stock had previously closed at $132.89.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of several analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

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 company’s fifty day moving average is $140.12 and its 200 day moving average is $106.73. The firm has a market cap of $47.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.84, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 in the last quarter. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VST. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Vistra by 71.8% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 152,760 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,134,000 after acquiring an additional 63,839 shares during the last quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $15,343,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 29.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,905 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the second quarter worth $225,000. Finally, Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter valued at $23,034,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.