Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 2.7% – Here’s Why

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 2.7% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $174.63 and last traded at $173.80. 1,293,575 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average session volume of 6,729,961 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.17.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. UBS Group upped their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market cap of $58.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.92, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.21. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $151.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.79.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.52%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.60%.

Vistra announced that its board has approved 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 reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. The trade was 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 over the last three months. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter valued at $30,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.