Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 1.4% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) fell 1.4% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $152.61 and last traded at $161.02. 7,193,605 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the average session volume of 6,901,750 shares. The stock had previously closed at $163.37.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VST. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $151.50.

Vistra Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $146.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $113.06. 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 company has a market capitalization of $54.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were given a $0.221 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter worth $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $36,000. 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.