Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 2.4% Following Insider Buying Activity

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price rose 2.4% during trading on Monday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock traded as high as $128.18 and last traded at $127.45. Approximately 1,906,823 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 7,492,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.46.

Specifically, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VST. Daiwa Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Up 3.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $43.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $155.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $137.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $409,087,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Vistra by 63.6% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,260,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $863,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,433,732 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $286,414,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $237,441,000. Finally, Appaloosa LP grew its stake in Vistra by 112.5% during the fourth quarter. Appaloosa LP now owns 2,700,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,249,000 after acquiring an additional 1,429,612 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently 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.