Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 1.8% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price fell 1.8% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $122.28 and last traded at $124.03. 1,278,864 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 7,484,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.29.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Up 4.4 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $44.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $153.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.62%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. The trade was a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.