Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 2% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shot up 2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $140.88 and last traded at $139.66. 1,355,192 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 6,744,831 shares. The stock had previously closed at $136.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on VST shares. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Up 2.0 %

The company has a market capitalization of $47.61 billion, a PE ratio of 26.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company’s 50-day moving average is $140.84 and its 200 day moving average is $107.45.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Vistra by 29.0% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,905 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,000 after buying an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Highland Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth $1,429,000. State of Michigan Retirement System lifted its position in Vistra by 16.8% during the second quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 96,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,288,000 after purchasing an additional 13,900 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 143.5% during the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 164,418 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,137,000 after purchasing an additional 96,889 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in Vistra by 52.8% in the second quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 60,810 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,228,000 after buying an additional 21,002 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vistra

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.