Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 8.5% – Here’s Why

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shot up 8.5% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $149.93 and last traded at $149.69. 3,717,470 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 8,992,606 shares. The stock had previously closed at $137.92.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Vistra Price Performance

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $160.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $133.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market cap of $49.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 58.7% in the fourth quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 7,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,062,000 after acquiring an additional 2,849 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Ascent Group LLC raised its stake in Vistra by 8.5% in the fourth quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 15,985 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,204,000 after buying an additional 1,249 shares in the last quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $59,000. Finally, Castlekeep Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $1,045,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vistra

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.