Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.7% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Vistra shares rose 1.7% to about $151.80, with trading volume 41% above the average session level.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $223.53; recent targets range as high as $298.
• The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.76 in EPS versus $1.61 expected and revenue of $4.02 billion versus $5.46 billion forecast.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shot up 1.7% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $154.90 and last traded at $151.7960. 6,926,564 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 41% from the average session volume of 4,896,167 shares. The stock had previously closed at $149.30.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Scotiabank boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $223.53.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $50.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.64 and a beta of 1.40. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $149.13 and a 200-day moving average price of $154.53. 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 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The business had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. Research analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 yield of 0.6%. Vistra's payout ratio is 15.54%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Scott Helm sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,152,000. This represents a 9.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paul Barbas sold 244 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 31,988 shares of company stock valued at $5,178,427 in the last quarter. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Equitable Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the third quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company's stock worth $1,380,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,770 shares of the company's stock worth $286,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the company's stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 4.9% in the first quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the company's stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principle Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Principle Wealth Partners LLC now owns 14,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,333,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

About Vistra

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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