Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 3.6% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 3.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $128.00 and last traded at $130.13. 2,781,480 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 7,505,433 shares. The stock had previously closed at $134.94.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Evercore ISI started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Down 3.8 %

The company has a market cap of $40.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. 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 company’s 50-day moving average is $149.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.79.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.75%. Vistra’s payout ratio is 12.62%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its stake in Vistra by 616.0% in the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. 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.