Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 3.2% – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price traded down 3.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $155.15 and last traded at $159.20. 6,056,105 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 5,927,582 shares. The stock had previously closed at $164.40.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on VST. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $191.00 to $203.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, February 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $236.40.

Vistra Trading Down 3.2%

The company has a market capitalization of $53.94 billion, a PE ratio of 73.36, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.78. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $163.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $178.95.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.45 by ($0.27). Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%.The business had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.75 billion. Analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be given a $0.228 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.94%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $48,290,575.90. This trade represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp lifted its position in Vistra by 2,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.