Vista Energy (NYSE:VIST) Shares Gap Up - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Shares gapped up — Vista Energy opened at $72.45 (prior close $69.12) and last traded near $71.74 on heavy volume, while several brokers have recently upgraded the stock (Weiss, UBS, Bank of America started coverage with a Buy and $88 target), leaving a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $68.55.
• Mixed fundamentals — the company beat revenue ($719.1M vs. $679.8M est.) but missed EPS ($0.49 vs. $1.12 est.); valuation metrics include a P/E of 10.65 and PEG of 0.72, with the 50-day/200-day moving averages ($61.14/$50.34) below the current price and sell-side expectations of about 5.74 EPS for the year.
• High institutional ownership — institutions own 63.81% of the stock and major managers (Price T. Rowe, JPMorgan, Capital Research) materially increased their stakes in the most recent quarter.

Vista Energy, S.A.B. de C.V. - Sponsored ADR (NYSE:VIST - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $69.12, but opened at $72.45. Vista Energy shares last traded at $71.74, with a volume of 209,165 shares traded.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on VIST shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Vista Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Zacks Research raised Vista Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, March 27th. Bank of America started coverage on Vista Energy in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $88.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $53.20 price target on Vista Energy in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, UBS Group raised Vista Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price objective for the company from $50.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $68.55.

Vista Energy Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65, a P/E/G ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 0.72. The company's 50 day moving average price is $61.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12.

Vista Energy (NYSE:VIST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.12 by ($0.63). The business had revenue of $719.06 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $679.81 million. Vista Energy had a return on equity of 15.65% and a net margin of 29.06%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vista Energy, S.A.B. de C.V. - Sponsored ADR will post 5.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vista Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VIST. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Vista Energy by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,989,783 shares of the company's stock worth $194,145,000 after acquiring an additional 402,585 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Vista Energy by 21.8% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,634,260 shares of the company's stock valued at $176,843,000 after purchasing an additional 649,468 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its holdings in Vista Energy by 26.2% during the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 3,335,815 shares of the company's stock worth $162,321,000 after purchasing an additional 693,566 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its position in shares of Vista Energy by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,979,212 shares of the company's stock worth $102,485,000 after purchasing an additional 36,549 shares during the period. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd lifted its position in shares of Vista Energy by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 1,237,870 shares of the company's stock worth $60,235,000 after purchasing an additional 50,178 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.81% of the company's stock.

Vista Energy Company Profile

Vista Energy NYSE: VIST is an independent energy company focused on the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas resources in Mexico. The company operates through two primary segments: upstream exploration and production, and midstream and specialist services. By integrating both segments, Vista Energy seeks to capture value across the energy value chain, from field operations to the delivery of processed gas to industrial and power-generation customers.

In its upstream segment, Vista Energy holds interests in onshore gas fields in northeastern Mexico and shallow-water properties in the Bay of Campeche.

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