Morgan Stanley Reaffirms Overweight Rating for Vistra (NYSE:VST)

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "overweight" rating reiterated by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley in a research report issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a $178.00 price target on the stock, up from their prior price target of $172.00. Morgan Stanley's price objective indicates a potential upside of 15.27% from the stock's previous close.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on VST. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on Vistra and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Vistra in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $134.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Vistra from $154.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $166.58.

Vistra Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of VST opened at $154.42 on Thursday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $128.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $143.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.40 billion, a PE ratio of 28.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. Vistra has a 12-month low of $66.50 and a 12-month high of $199.84.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 208,136 shares of company stock valued at $31,879,290. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its stake 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 purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Banque Transatlantique SA increased its stake in Vistra by 132.0% during the 1st quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co. increased its stake in Vistra by 275.4% during the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.