Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 5.4% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 5.4% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $138.21 and last traded at $137.65. 2,158,251 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 7,484,700 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.58.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Vistra Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $150.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $139.90. The company has a market capitalization of $44.82 billion, a PE ratio of 24.58, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.