Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 4.6% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares fell 4.6% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $125.17 and last traded at $125.76. 1,717,962 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average session volume of 7,480,403 shares. The stock had previously closed at $131.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on VST. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Down 6.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $139.90.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, 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 transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the sale, the director now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by 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.