Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.7% – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) fell 2.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $116.40 and last traded at $120.61. 5,014,987 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 9,349,334 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.95.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Bank of America raised shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group boosted their price target 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. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $166.73.

Vistra Stock Up 2.4 %

The company has a market capitalization of $43.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.67, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $159.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $135.12. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits 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 leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.