Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 0.3% Higher – Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price rose 0.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $170.37 and last traded at $169.74. Approximately 1,085,445 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 8,860,155 shares. The stock had previously closed at $169.28.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price 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. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $171.64.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $160.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.37.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders 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 yield of 0.59%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.60%.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This trade represents 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

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. 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.