Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.1% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were down 2.1% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $155.42 and last traded at $156.45. Approximately 1,084,916 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 84% from the average daily volume of 6,839,035 shares. The stock had previously closed at $159.84.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Down 2.6 %

The company has a market capitalization of $52.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.19, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The company has a 50 day moving average of $133.51 and a 200-day moving average of $102.37.

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 paid a dividend of $0.221 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its position in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.