Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Breaks Above 50-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $145.08 and traded as high as $147.45. Vistra shares last traded at $146.7120, with a volume of 3,922,193 shares trading hands.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s board declared a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.231 per share, representing an estimated aggregate payment of approximately $75 million. The dividend is payable Dec. 31 to shareholders of record Dec. 22, providing continued shareholder returns. Vistra Declares Dividend on Common Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained an “overweight” rating despite reducing its price target from $212 to $198, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Vistra Stock Has Slumped for a Year: Why Wells Fargo Still Sees 39% Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America Securities reaffirmed its Buy rating, signaling that the firm continues to see attractive long-term value in Vistra despite the recent weakness. Bank of America Securities Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Vistra Corp
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed. Commentary highlights both the possibility of a significant recovery after the stock’s dip and questions about whether Vistra’s business and valuation can support further gains. Can Vistra Stock Rally 50% After This Dip?
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank lowered its Vistra price target to $189 from $207, while still reflecting a more cautious outlook on the shares’ near-term valuation. Scotiabank Adjusts Price Target on Vistra to $189 From $207
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra shares declined while the broader market improved and underperformed competitors, adding to the stock’s recent weakness. The pressure follows the company’s latest quarterly earnings miss, which may be weighing on investor sentiment. Vistra Corp. Stock Underperforms Wednesday When Compared to Competitors

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VST. Siebert Williams Shank began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, October 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $196.00 to $194.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group set a $176.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Williams Trading set a $202.00 price target on Vistra in a report on Friday, October 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $202.43.

Vistra Trading Down 1.5%

The company has a market capitalization of $47.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.76 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $145.09 and a 200 day moving average of $153.88.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted 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 company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott Hudson sold 22,222 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total transaction of $3,558,631.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 308,915 shares in the company, valued at $49,469,648.10. This trade represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. 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 owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth about $4,610,496,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $468,354,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $381,938,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $262,169,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $138,267,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) is an integrated energy company based in Irving, Texas. The company operates across electricity generation, power distribution support, energy marketing and retail electricity sales, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States.

Vistra owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power generation and energy storage facilities. Its assets include natural gas, nuclear, coal and renewable generation, as well as battery storage projects.