Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 0.7% – Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were up 0.7% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $164.62 and last traded at $162.50. Approximately 954,844 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 6,811,525 shares. The stock had previously closed at $161.31.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VST. BNP Paribas started coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target 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. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Down 0.5 %

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $137.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.50. 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 $54.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.221 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 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 Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 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 VST. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 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.