Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 0.5% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price was down 0.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $189.11 and last traded at $190.88. Approximately 1,986,327 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 7,441,800 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.89.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $168.20.

Vistra Trading Down 0.8 %

The firm has a market cap of $64.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 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 firm’s fifty day moving average is $155.22 and its 200-day moving average is $119.39.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $4.01. Vistra had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 57.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.25 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 4.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a dividend of $0.221 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.46%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.60%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during 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 purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.