Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 2.7% – Still a Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was up 2.7% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $147.35 and last traded at $145.37. Approximately 1,533,297 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 6,786,278 shares. The stock had previously closed at $141.52.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Up 3.8 %

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $138.80 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.29. The company has a market capitalization of $50.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.221 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.60%. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 65.3% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,973 shares of the company’s stock valued at $428,000 after purchasing an additional 1,965 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $227,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at $197,000. PGGM Investments increased its holdings in Vistra by 17.3% during the second quarter. PGGM Investments now owns 48,496 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,170,000 after buying an additional 7,160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Loring Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors LLP MA bought a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter worth $47,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.