Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the thirteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $166.17.

Several research analysts recently commented on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 28th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $134.00 target price for the company. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 target price for the company.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VST traded up $0.36 during trading on Monday, hitting $129.69. The company had a trading volume of 4,999,535 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,885,614. Vistra has a 52 week low of $66.50 and a 52 week high of $199.84. The company has a market cap of $44.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.20, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The business's 50-day moving average is $121.40 and its 200 day moving average is $140.81.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a $0.2235 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the company's 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 owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Lionsbridge Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $277,000. Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $231,000. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its holdings in Vistra by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 78,965 shares of the company's stock worth $9,361,000 after acquiring an additional 6,920 shares in the last quarter. Legal Advantage Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $565,000. Finally, Viking Fund Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 90.0% in the fourth quarter. Viking Fund Management LLC now owns 19,000 shares of the company's stock worth $2,620,000 after purchasing an additional 9,000 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.