Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 1.1% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were up 1.1% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $176.65 and last traded at $173.40. Approximately 4,636,345 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average daily volume of 6,451,536 shares. The stock had previously closed at $171.49.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on VST. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $191.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Evercore upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $237.53.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company has a market capitalization of $58.75 billion, a PE ratio of 39.33, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.40. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $162.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $182.63.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,290,575.90. This trade represents a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total transaction of $1,424,763.65. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 79,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,842,690.90. The trade was a 9.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth $930,080,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $574,499,000. Rubric Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $322,660,000. Alkeon Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 280.6% in the 2nd quarter. Alkeon Capital Management LLC now owns 1,356,357 shares of the company’s stock worth $262,876,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000,000 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Vistra by 15.1% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 7,106,465 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,392,299,000 after purchasing an additional 930,912 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.