Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 0.5% – Time to Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was down 0.5% on Friday . The company traded as low as $154.40 and last traded at $160.02. Approximately 3,923,941 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 38% from the average daily volume of 6,370,263 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.81.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the subject of several analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Up 3.6 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.21. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $146.83 and a 200 day moving average of $113.39.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.53%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.42%.

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

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business’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 owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 in the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $69,000. First Hawaiian Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $2,069,000. Doliver Advisors LP bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $236,000. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $488,000. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $2,639,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.