Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 3.5% – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares rose 3.5% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $178.08 and last traded at $176.50. Approximately 2,775,596 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 6,755,439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of a number of research reports. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.50.

Vistra Price Performance

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 firm has a market cap of $59.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.21. The company’s 50-day moving average is $149.69 and its 200-day moving average is $115.43.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program 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 programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at $36,000. 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.