Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.9% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price traded up 1.9% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $147.60 and last traded at $144.80. 1,440,513 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 6,930,551 shares. The stock had previously closed at $142.16.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VST shares. UBS Group lowered their target price on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Guggenheim increased their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $145.40.

Vistra Stock Down 2.5 %

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.14 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The company has a market capitalization of $47.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.84 and a beta of 1.09.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.42%.

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

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new stake in Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, CVA Family Office LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the period. 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.