Vistra (NYSE:VST) CEO James Burke Buys 2,200 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Vistra CEO James Burke purchased 2,200 shares at an average price of $135.99, increasing his direct stake by 0.19% to 1,141,887 shares valued at approximately $155.3 million.
• Vistra’s shares traded around $140.06, well below their 12-month high of $219.82. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.76 in EPS versus the $1.61 consensus and revenue of $4.02 billion versus $5.46 billion expected.
• The company maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.23 per share, or $0.92 annually, while analysts retain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $223.53.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) CEO James Burke acquired 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The shares were bought at an average price of $135.99 per share, with a total value of $299,178.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,141,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $155,285,213.13. The trade was a 0.19% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Vistra Stock Performance

VST traded up $1.98 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $140.06. The company had a trading volume of 1,411,135 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,872,870. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $150.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $155.19. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The stock has a market cap of $47.01 billion, a PE ratio of 23.63 and a beta of 1.41. 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 released its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%.The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.46 billion. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is 15.54%.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VST. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,610,496,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $746,729,000. Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in Vistra by 95.1% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 177,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,638,000 after purchasing an additional 86,393 shares during the last quarter. Payden & Rygel lifted its position in Vistra by 3,118.2% during the fourth quarter. Payden & Rygel now owns 35,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,711,000 after purchasing an additional 34,300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,875,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 target price on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Vistra from $222.00 to $221.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, August 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $223.53.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra NYSE: VST is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company's operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra's core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.

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