Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.8% – Here’s What Happened

15 Apr 2025, 16:00 by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat Gem

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $116.20 and last traded at $114.75. 1,208,381 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 7,867,631 shares. The stock had previously closed at $112.69.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on VST. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $159.69.

Get Our Latest Report on VST

Vistra Trading Up 2.3 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $132.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $141.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.51, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were issued a $0.2235 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,539,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,174,326,000 after buying an additional 219,055 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Vistra by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,260,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $863,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,433,732 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Vistra by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,026,484 shares of the company’s stock valued at $417,261,000 after acquiring an additional 296,714 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $409,087,000. Finally, Castle Hook Partners LP lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 13.6% during the fourth quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 2,964,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $408,677,000 after purchasing an additional 353,949 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vistra

(Get Free Report)

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.