Raymond James Initiates Coverage on Vistra (NYSE:VST)

Equities research analysts at Raymond James started coverage on shares of Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The firm set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James' price target points to a potential upside of 24.37% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Vistra from $154.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $172.69.

Vistra Price Performance

VST traded down $0.19 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $173.68. 3,956,609 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,324,950. The company has a market capitalization of $58.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.40, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22. Vistra has a 52-week low of $66.50 and a 52-week high of $199.84. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $141.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $145.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 50,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total transaction of $8,637,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 255,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,084,418. The trade was a 16.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 108,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.98, for a total transaction of $16,953,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 218,239 shares of the company's stock, valued at $34,259,158.22. This represents a 33.10% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490 in the last three months. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter worth about $12,410,000. Jacobi Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Vistra in the first quarter valued at approximately $235,000. Westbourne Investments Inc. increased its stake in Vistra by 154.1% in the first quarter. Westbourne Investments Inc. now owns 13,431 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,577,000 after purchasing an additional 8,146 shares during the last quarter. MBL Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 19.8% during the first quarter. MBL Wealth LLC now owns 2,491 shares of the company's stock worth $293,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Vistra by 151.3% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,460 shares of the company's stock worth $171,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

About Vistra

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.