Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 0.1% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded down 0.1% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $162.97 and last traded at $168.35. 2,483,327 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 10,234,602 shares. The stock had previously closed at $168.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on VST. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $171.64.

Vistra Trading Down 0.3 %

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.53 and a 200-day simple moving average of $123.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $57.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.22. 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 (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $4.01. The business had revenue of $6.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.96 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 57.63% and a net margin of 12.51%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.25 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth 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 purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.