Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 3.6% Higher – Still a Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded up 3.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $149.28 and last traded at $149.1550. 4,507,862 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 5,206,657 shares. The stock had previously closed at $144.00.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $212.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $233.33.

Vistra Trading Up 3.6%

The stock has a market capitalization of $50.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.43. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $154.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $163.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The business had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 15.24%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Archer Investment Corp boosted its stake in Vistra by 2,700.0% during the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Institutional investors 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.