Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 0.8% – Time to Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) fell 0.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $118.39 and last traded at $122.99. 2,867,625 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 62% from the average session volume of 7,482,488 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VST. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Down 2.4 %

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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $149.52 and a 200 day moving average of $139.79. The firm has a market cap of $41.16 billion, a PE ratio of 22.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the sale, the director now directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the acquisition, 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 currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lionsbridge Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $277,000. Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $231,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 9.6% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 78,965 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,361,000 after purchasing an additional 6,920 shares during the period. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter worth $17,781,000. Finally, Legal Advantage Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $565,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently 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.