Vistra (NYSE:VST) CEO Sells $4,481,747.60 in Stock

Key Points

• Vistra CEO James Burke sold 21,362 shares of stock for approximately $4.48 million, reducing his ownership by 8.75% and retaining 222,687 shares valued at around $46.72 million.
• The company recently announced a quarterly dividend increase to $0.226 per share, with an annualized dividend of $0.90 and a yield of 0.4%.
• Equities analysts are optimistic about Vistra, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $201.43.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) CEO James Burke sold 21,362 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.80, for a total transaction of $4,481,747.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 222,687 shares in the company, valued at $46,719,732.60. The trade was a 8.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Vistra Price Performance

NYSE VST traded down $4.30 on Tuesday, reaching $209.22. The company had a trading volume of 3,825,886 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,819,804. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $196.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $162.45. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $88.89 and a 12 month high of $217.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.89 billion, a PE ratio of 33.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.28 and a beta of 1.33.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.62). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.41% and a net margin of 12.90%.The business had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.226 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 25.5% in the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,966 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,544,000 after buying an additional 1,619 shares during the period. WT Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $234,000. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $262,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 159.1% in the 2nd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 11,689 shares of the company's stock worth $2,265,000 after purchasing an additional 7,177 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 25.1% in the 2nd quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 23,775 shares of the company's stock worth $4,608,000 after purchasing an additional 4,776 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $191.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Melius Research raised shares of Vistra to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $201.43.

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.

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