Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 0.2% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 0.2% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $145.52 and last traded at $137.41. 8,955,998 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 2% from the average session volume of 9,152,235 shares. The stock had previously closed at $137.08.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $171.64.

Vistra Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $155.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $121.44. The company has a market cap of $59.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $4.01. Vistra had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 57.63%. The firm had revenue of $6.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.25 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 4.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of Vistra 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 sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th 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 period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.