Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 1.2% Higher – Should You Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 1.2% on Monday . The company traded as high as $170.45 and last traded at $167.59. 5,707,110 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 45% from the average session volume of 10,342,942 shares. The stock had previously closed at $165.65.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VST. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.64.

Vistra Price Performance

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 firm’s fifty day moving average price is $159.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $130.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $57.62 billion, a PE ratio of 31.60, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were 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 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. lifted its position in Vistra by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. now owns 2,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,366,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Finally, Umpqua Bank increased its holdings in Vistra by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other 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.