Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 0.2% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) were up 0.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $131.70 and last traded at $130.23. Approximately 4,819,621 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 48% from the average daily volume of 9,223,395 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on VST. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price target for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.64.

Vistra Trading Up 3.0 %

The stock has a 50 day moving average of $160.13 and a 200-day moving average of $134.44. The company has a market capitalization of $45.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a $0.2235 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 16.60%.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. grew its holdings in Vistra by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. now owns 2,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC grew its stake in Vistra by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in Vistra by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,366,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Umpqua Bank lifted its stake in Vistra by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.