Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 2% – What’s Next?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 2% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $166.50 and last traded at $170.55. 4,528,207 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 34% from the average session volume of 6,912,492 shares. The stock had previously closed at $174.00.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas started coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of 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 MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.50.

Vistra Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $58.21 billion, a PE ratio of 31.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 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 business’s 50 day moving average is $151.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.99.

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. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 16.60%.

Vistra announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction 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. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position 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. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.