Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) have earned an average rating of “Buy” from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $149.10.

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim increased their price objective on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company.

Vistra Stock Down 5.0 %

VST opened at $154.52 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $52.57 billion, a PE ratio of 28.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.09. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $131.23 and its 200-day moving average is $101.40. Vistra has a one year low of $34.88 and a one year high of $168.67.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.57%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its holdings in Vistra by 0.7% during the third quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,366,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 2.2% in the third quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock valued at $448,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 11,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,344,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.