Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 2.2% Higher – Should You Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) rose 2.2% on Monday . The company traded as high as $155.78 and last traded at $152.95. Approximately 5,073,978 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 21% from the average daily volume of 6,451,190 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.65.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the subject of several recent research reports. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Scotiabank lifted their target price on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.33.

Vistra Trading Up 2.2%

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $163.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $183.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.60 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 6.70% and a return on equity of 64.04%. On average, analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $10,183,556.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $38,137,265.25. The trade was a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.86, for a total value of $9,456,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 306,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,772,476. This trade represents a 15.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 166,680 shares of company stock valued at $28,761,790 over the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 3.1% during the third quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 1,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Y.D. More Investments Ltd increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 7.1% during the 3rd quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 916 shares of the company’s stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Vistra by 0.9% during the third quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,380,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 3,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $642,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Effects LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 1.1% in the third quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.