Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 1.6% – Time to Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were down 1.6% on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $137.02 and last traded at $137.87. Approximately 2,760,793 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 6,683,200 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.09.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on VST. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Up 8.6 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $50.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $143.14 and a 200 day moving average of $110.77.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were issued a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.59%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Forum Financial Management LP boosted its holdings in Vistra by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,366,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.2% in the third quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 3.0% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $333,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 11,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,344,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.