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

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $191.11, but opened at $154.09. Vistra shares last traded at $144.52, with a volume of 8,874,044 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on VST. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.64.

Vistra Trading Up 9.0 %

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’s 50 day moving average price is $155.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $121.20. The firm has a market cap of $50.83 billion, a PE ratio of 27.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $4.01. The company had revenue of $6.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.96 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.51% and a return on equity of 57.63%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.25 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 4.48 EPS for the current year.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vistra

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.