Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 1.3% – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) rose 1.3% on Friday . The stock traded as high as $144.66 and last traded at $137.51. Approximately 3,418,488 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 6,930,288 shares. The stock had previously closed at $135.73.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on VST shares. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $145.40.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $113.05 and a 200-day moving average of $94.99. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.47 and a beta of 1.09.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.69). Vistra had a return on equity of 21.05% and a net margin of 4.61%. The company had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.03 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 4.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. CVA Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.