Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 3% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $120.72 and last traded at $120.98. 1,581,798 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 9,062,354 shares. The stock had previously closed at $117.44.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on VST. Evercore ISI began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 28th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Vistra Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $143.86 and a 200 day moving average of $141.25. The company has a market capitalization of $43.28 billion, a PE ratio of 23.74, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a $0.2235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

Insider Activity

In other Vistra news, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. The trade was a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 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.