Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s stock price gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $136.98, but opened at $132.45. Vistra shares last traded at $137.44, with a volume of 688,879 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Up 2.8 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $140.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $106.91. The stock has a market cap of $47.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.28, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.221 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.63%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter worth $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.