Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 2.2% Higher – Here’s What Happened
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyVistra Corp. (NYSE:VST – Get Free Report) traded up 2.2% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $171.68 and last traded at $171.4640. 4,360,615 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average session volume of 6,088,097 shares. The stock had previously closed at $167.80.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms have recently issued reports on VST. KeyCorp began coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Evercore increased their price target on Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $191.00 to $203.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.73.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Vistra
Vistra Stock Performance
The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $162.76 and a 200-day simple moving average of $181.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $58.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74.
Vistra Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.228 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is 32.49%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This trade represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra
Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Archer Investment Corp increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% in the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares during the period. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Vistra Company Profile
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.