Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 2% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded down 2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $143.86 and last traded at $145.41. 1,741,460 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 6,786,162 shares. The stock had previously closed at $148.31.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $149.10.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $138.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $105.01. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.91 billion, a PE ratio of 27.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Forum Financial Management LP grew its position in Vistra by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,366,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Umpqua Bank grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.2% during the third quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock valued at $448,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC raised its stake in Vistra by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 11,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,344,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Vistra by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.