Vistra (NYSE:VST) Rating Increased to Hold at Daiwa America

Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) to a hold rating in a research report released on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on VST. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.83.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of VST stock opened at $113.94 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. Vistra has a twelve month low of $57.50 and a twelve month high of $199.84. The company has a market cap of $38.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $159.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $135.40.

Vistra announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business 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 $0.2235 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, 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 the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.