Vistra (NYSE:VST) Given “Outperform” Rating at Sanford C. Bernstein

Vistra (NYSE:VST)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reiterated by stock analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. They presently have a $181.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 29.60% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. UBS Group dropped their target price on Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $221.50.

Vistra Stock Up 0.9%

NYSE VST traded up $1.31 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $139.66. 2,042,929 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,868,701. Vistra has a 52-week low of $132.66 and a 52-week high of $217.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $144.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.53. The firm has a market cap of $46.88 billion, a PE ratio of 23.59 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 9.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO James A. Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott Hudson sold 44,444 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total transaction of $6,747,488.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $50,273,219.34. This represents a 11.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 4.9% in the first quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $227,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. lifted its holdings in Vistra by 5.3% in the second quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the company’s stock valued at $274,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Portfolio Design Labs LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 1.2% in the second quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,166,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 4,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $680,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Vistra by 46.6% during the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.