Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 3% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price rose 3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $120.72 and last traded at $120.98. 1,581,798 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 9,062,354 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.44.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on VST. UBS Group increased their target price 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. Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $163.50.

Vistra Stock Up 1.6 %

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $146.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

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 dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

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