Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 3.1% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were down 3.1% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $110.55 and last traded at $114.36. Approximately 2,559,335 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 67% from the average daily volume of 7,857,945 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.02.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on VST. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Vistra in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $161.23.

Vistra Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $37.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.83, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The company has a fifty day moving average of $135.49 and a 200 day moving average of $141.42.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 12.62%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was 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 approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.