Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 5.6% – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shot up 5.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $146.00 and last traded at $145.59. 1,423,250 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 6,683,200 shares. The stock had previously closed at $137.87.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Guggenheim upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $55.24 billion, a PE ratio of 30.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average price of $143.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $111.31.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th were paid a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following 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 worth $55,087,314 in the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by 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.