Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 1.3% – Still a Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares rose 1.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $161.31 and last traded at $155.7420. Approximately 4,315,808 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average daily volume of 5,403,898 shares. The stock had previously closed at $153.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Vistra from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $236.87.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $52.73 billion, a PE ratio of 71.77, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $160.31 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.94.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.45 by ($0.27). Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%.The business had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.75 billion. Analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.228 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Archer Investment Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.