Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 2.8% Following Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Vistra shares fell 2.8% to about $142.61 after Scotiabank cut its price target from $207 to $189, while maintaining a sector outperform rating.
• Despite the downgrade, analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: Vistra has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $202.43.
• The company recently missed quarterly expectations, reporting $0.76 in EPS versus $1.61 expected and revenue of $4.02 billion versus $5.46 billion forecast. Institutional investors own approximately 90.88% of the stock.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) traded down 2.8% on Wednesday after Scotiabank lowered their price target on the stock from $207.00 to $189.00. Scotiabank currently has a sector outperform rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $142.20 and last traded at $142.6070. 5,579,742 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 8% from the average daily volume of 5,149,388 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.66.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on VST. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $227.00 to $226.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, August 24th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $169.00 price target on the stock. Siebert Williams Shank began coverage on Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. They issued a "buy" rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $201.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $202.43.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the business's 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 331,137 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,273,219.34. The trade was a 11.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $135.25 per share, with a total value 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. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,610,496,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 16.1% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 258,337 shares of the company's stock worth $40,979,000 after purchasing an additional 35,862 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 95.1% during the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 177,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,638,000 after acquiring an additional 86,393 shares during the period. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter valued at $10,543,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 353.5% in the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 11,690 shares of the company's stock worth $1,757,000 after purchasing an additional 9,112 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Down 2.8%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The company's 50 day moving average is $145.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $154.05. The company has a market capitalization of $47.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.09 and a beta of 1.38.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.46 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.13 earnings per share for the current year.

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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