Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.7% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price was down 2.7% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $116.40 and last traded at $120.61. Approximately 5,014,987 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 46% from the average daily volume of 9,349,334 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.95.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VST shares. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $166.73.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $159.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $135.12.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % 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

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Lionsbridge Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $277,000. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $231,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama lifted its position in Vistra by 9.6% during the third quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 78,965 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,361,000 after purchasing an additional 6,920 shares in the last quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Vistra during the third quarter valued at $17,781,000. Finally, Legal Advantage Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $565,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Company Profile

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.