Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Target Lowered at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley lowered Vistra’s price target slightly from $227 to $226 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying 43.79% potential upside from the previous close.
• Vistra shares rose 4.6% to $157.17 during Wednesday trading. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $212.32.
• The company’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations, reporting $0.76 in earnings per share versus a $1.61 consensus estimate and revenue of $4.02 billion versus $5.46 billion expected.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) had its price objective reduced by Morgan Stanley from $227.00 to $226.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price would indicate a potential upside of 43.79% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on VST. Mizuho began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 target price on the stock. Siebert Williams Shank started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $201.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $222.00 to $221.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $212.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $212.32.

Vistra Trading Up 4.6%

NYSE VST traded up $6.85 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $157.17. The stock had a trading volume of 2,121,540 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,106,664. Vistra has a one year low of $132.66 and a one year high of $203.66. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $145.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.51 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.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.46 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Vistra will post 9.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, CEO James Burke bought 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was bought at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total value of $6,747,488.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Apella Capital LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 2,728 shares of the company's stock valued at $377,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the period. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 4.9% during the first quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the company's stock worth $227,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 5.3% in the second quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,728 shares of the company's stock valued at $274,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 1.2% in the second quarter. Portfolio Design Labs LLC now owns 7,348 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,166,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First National Bank of Hutchinson boosted its holdings in Vistra by 2.0% in the first quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 4,521 shares of the company's stock valued at $680,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Company Profile

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.

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