Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 2.7% – Still a Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was up 2.7% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $176.36 and last traded at $172.86. Approximately 2,941,706 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 10,057,872 shares. The stock had previously closed at $168.33.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the topic of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. 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 price target for the company. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Bank of America started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 target price for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.64.

Vistra Trading Down 1.9 %

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 firm’s 50-day moving average price is $157.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $124.91. The company has a market cap of $56.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $4.01. The firm had revenue of $6.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 57.63%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction 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 approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the business’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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 over the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 616.0% during 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 during the period. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. 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.