Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 4.4% – Time to Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was down 4.4% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $139.00 and last traded at $139.35. Approximately 1,434,940 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 6,937,065 shares. The stock had previously closed at $145.80.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VST. Guggenheim upped their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas started coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $145.40.

Vistra Trading Down 2.6 %

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $116.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $96.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.45 and a beta of 1.09.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be 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 is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, ORG Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Hedge funds and other 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.