Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 5.4% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares traded down 5.4% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $137.91 and last traded at $138.2960. 5,138,578 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 0% from the average session volume of 5,150,633 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.22.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on VST shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Vistra from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $241.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $212.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.33.

Vistra Stock Up 1.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a market cap of $49.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.79 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $153.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $160.29.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a $0.229 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,760 shares in the company, valued at $1,561,600. This represents a 32.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.