Vistra (NYSE:VST) Coverage Initiated at Scotiabank

Key Points

• Scotiabank has initiated coverage on Vistra (NYSE:VST) with a "sector outperform" rating and a price target of $256.00, indicating a potential upside of 21.28% from its current price.
• Vistra has received favorable ratings from multiple analysts, including upgrades to "strong-buy" from Daiwa America and price target increases from Jefferies Financial Group and BMO Capital Markets.
• The company's latest earnings report showed an EPS of $1.01, falling short of consensus estimates, with revenue of $4.25 billion versus expectations of $5.15 billion.

Investment analysts at Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) in a note issued to investors on Monday. The brokerage set a "sector outperform" rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Scotiabank's target price would indicate a potential upside of 21.28% from the stock's current price.

VST has been the topic of several other research reports. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Vistra from $191.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Daiwa America upgraded Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Vistra from $145.00 to $241.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $213.73.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $211.08 on Monday. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $198.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $164.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $71.52 billion, a PE ratio of 33.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58. Vistra has a twelve month low of $90.51 and a twelve month high of $217.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.62). The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. On average, analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 21,361 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.56, for a total value of $4,540,494.16. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 227,968 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,456,878.08. This represents a 8.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 148,121 shares of company stock worth $30,849,036 over the last 90 days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Banque Transatlantique SA boosted its holdings in Vistra by 132.0% in the first quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. boosted its holdings in Vistra by 275.4% in the first quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at $28,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, City State Bank boosted its holdings in Vistra by 210.0% in the second quarter. City State Bank now owns 155 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. 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.

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