Insider Selling: Vistra (NYSE:VST) CEO Sells 21,376 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Vistra Corp. CEO James Burke sold 21,376 shares of stock at an average price of $201.18, totaling approximately $4.3 million, which decreased his ownership stake by 7.98%.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.226, up from $0.23, with a yield of 0.5% and a dividend payout ratio of 14.35%.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of "Buy" for Vistra, with a consensus price target of $218.20 following upgrades from multiple research firms.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) CEO James Burke sold 21,376 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.18, for a total transaction of $4,300,423.68. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 246,394 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $49,569,544.92. This trade represents a 7.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Vistra Price Performance

NYSE VST traded down $2.13 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $195.81. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,824,572 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,866,156. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $90.51 and a fifty-two week high of $219.82. The stock has a market cap of $66.34 billion, a PE ratio of 31.23, a PEG ratio of 3.00 and a beta of 1.33. The company's 50-day moving average is $200.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.62). Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. The business had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. Analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 19th will be given a $0.226 dividend. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 19th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.35%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on VST. Daiwa America raised Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Melius Research upgraded Vistra to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. UBS Group upped their price target on Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Scotiabank assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. They issued a "sector outperform" rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $218.20.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. increased its position in Vistra by 4.0% in the second quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 1,734 shares of the company's stock worth $333,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,256 shares of the company's stock worth $631,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Fogel Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Vistra by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Fogel Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,897 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,531,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Red Mountain Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Red Mountain Financial LLC now owns 2,435 shares of the company's stock valued at $472,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 2,528 shares of the company's stock worth $490,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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