Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1% – What’s Next?
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemVistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) traded up 1% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $149.38 and last traded at $146.39. 2,630,313 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 47% from the average session volume of 4,984,281 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.92.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VST shares. Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. UBS Group cut their price target on Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.56.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Vistra
Vistra Price Performance
The firm has a market cap of $49.36 billion, a PE ratio of 24.73 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $154.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $156.82.
Vistra Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.54%.
Insider Activity at Vistra
In other Vistra news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.96, for a total transaction of $824,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 14,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,368,825.60. This represents a 25.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 232,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,152,000. The trade was a 9.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227 over the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Trading of Vistra
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,371,000 after acquiring an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Vistra by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,376,000 after purchasing an additional 8,312 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in Vistra by 37.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company’s stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the second quarter valued at $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.
Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.