Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 1.6% – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price fell 1.6% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $126.27 and last traded at $129.80. 1,603,585 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 7,471,296 shares. The stock had previously closed at $131.90.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on VST. Daiwa Capital Markets started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America raised shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Down 0.9 %

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $151.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $138.64. 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 company has a market capitalization of $44.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $0.2235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. 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.