Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 1.3% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VSTGet Free Report)’s share price was down 1.3% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $137.12 and last traded at $138.20. Approximately 585,297 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 6,674,265 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.09.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VST. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BNP Paribas started coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $149.10.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Vistra

Vistra Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $142.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $109.95. The company has a market capitalization of $46.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.42%.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 11.5% in the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 40,543 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,486,000 after acquiring an additional 4,180 shares during the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise bought a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter worth $445,000. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. increased its position in Vistra by 6.9% during the second quarter. Confluence Wealth Services Inc. now owns 3,100 shares of the company’s stock worth $267,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the second quarter valued at about $224,000. Finally, BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth about $4,299,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

About Vistra

(Get Free Report)

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.

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