Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 1.3% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was down 1.3% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $137.12 and last traded at $138.20. Approximately 585,297 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 91% from the average daily volume of 6,674,265 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.09.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VST shares. Guggenheim raised their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Down 1.8 %

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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $142.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $109.95. The stock has a market cap of $46.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed 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 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last quarter. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in Vistra by 94.3% in the 3rd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 4,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $622,000 after buying an additional 2,355 shares in the last quarter. SPX Gestao de Recursos Ltda acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $9,878,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 9.6% in the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 78,965 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,361,000 after acquiring an additional 6,920 shares in the last quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $2,179,000. Finally, Blankinship & Foster LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $2,353,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.