Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 5.1% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) was down 5.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $146.60 and last traded at $147.4910. Approximately 4,584,575 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 18% from the average daily volume of 5,577,553 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.48.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Scotiabank increased their target price on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Vistra from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.87.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $49.93 billion, a PE ratio of 67.97, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.42. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $161.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $175.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share (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 company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.75 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be paid a $0.228 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.94%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This represents a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,445,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in Vistra in the third quarter worth approximately $8,755,000. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 39.9% during the 4th quarter. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC now owns 78,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,722,000 after acquiring an additional 22,492 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Funds Management LTD purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth $1,241,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Vistra by 49.2% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 371,497 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,784,000 after acquiring an additional 122,545 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by 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.