Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 4.5% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were up 4.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $152.26 and last traded at $149.53. Approximately 7,389,880 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 14% from the average daily volume of 6,472,808 shares. The stock had previously closed at $143.07.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on VST shares. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, KeyCorp initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $239.33.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $50.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.91 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $163.49 and its 200 day moving average is $184.29.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03). Vistra had a return on equity of 64.04% and a net margin of 6.70%.The firm had revenue of $4.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.60 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total value of $10,183,556.25. Following the transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 166,680 shares of company stock valued at $28,761,790 over the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. ELCO Management Co. LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $499,000. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $292,000. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,241,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Vistra by 1.7% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,099,120 shares of the company’s stock worth $406,830,000 after purchasing an additional 35,444 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service boosted its position in Vistra by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 1,195,793 shares of the company’s stock worth $234,280,000 after purchasing an additional 70,693 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is 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.