Vistra (NYSE:VST) Now Covered by Daiwa Capital Markets

Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST) in a research report report published on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on VST. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. 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 objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Bank of America upgraded 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 report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Price Performance

VST stock opened at $126.99 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $43.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.69, 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 has a 12-month low of $57.50 and a 12-month high of $199.84. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $159.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.46.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its position in Vistra by 616.0% in the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by 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.