Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 0.4% – Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares traded up 0.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $168.68 and last traded at $168.31. 1,614,673 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 9,257,584 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.61.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on VST. Evercore ISI started coverage on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.64.

Vistra Trading Up 0.4 %

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 $57.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $157.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.57.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The sale 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 the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its stake in Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.