Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 3.5% – Still a Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 3.5% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $178.08 and last traded at $176.50. 2,775,596 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 6,755,439 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the subject of several recent research reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Down 1.7 %

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’s fifty day simple moving average is $151.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $116.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 16.60%.

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, 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 sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 in the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Donoghue Forlines LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $3,447,000. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $818,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 22,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,098,000 after purchasing an additional 1,204 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Company Profile

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.