Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.5% Following Analyst Upgrade

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price shot up 1.5% during mid-day trading on Monday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. The company traded as high as $158.57 and last traded at $157.8240. 3,252,669 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 35% from the average daily volume of 5,010,583 shares. The stock had previously closed at $155.44.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on VST. Weiss Ratings cut Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $210.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 target price on shares of Vistra and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $230.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 53,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,109,918. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.96, for a total transaction of $824,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 14,360 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,368,825.60. This trade represents a 25.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from “hold” to “strong-buy”, which can be a direct catalyst for buying interest and helps explain the stock’s strength. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple articles highlighted Vistra as a solid growth stock, arguing the company could deliver strong returns thanks to its growth profile and business fundamentals. Is Vistra (VST) a Solid Growth Stock? 3 Reasons to Think “Yes”
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage also noted that Vistra has been outpacing the broader market, reinforcing momentum in the shares and supporting investor confidence. Vistra Corp. (VST) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several pieces discussed the stock’s bullish Wall Street rating profile, including an average brokerage recommendation around Buy, but also warned that analyst sentiment can be an imperfect indicator. Should You Invest in Vistra (VST) Based on Bullish Wall Street Views?

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 24.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,371,000 after buying an additional 3,920 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Vistra by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,376,000 after acquiring an additional 8,312 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth grew its holdings in Vistra by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $920,000 after acquiring an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Trading Up 3.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $154.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $158.37. The firm has a market cap of $56.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.11 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Equities analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.53 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.41%.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower?carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.