Vistra (NYSE:VST) Given New $298.00 Price Target at Scotiabank

Key Points

• Scotiabank raised its price target on Vistra from $293 to $298 while keeping a “sector outperform” rating, implying about 80% upside from the current share price.
• Vistra shares rose 4.5% to $165.53, and the stock has been active amid multiple analyst updates; MarketBeat’s consensus rating remains Buy with a consensus target of $230.62.
• The company recently reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.87 versus the $1.32 estimate and revenue of $5.64 billion versus $5.22 billion expected.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at Scotiabank from $293.00 to $298.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "sector outperform" rating on the stock. Scotiabank's target price points to a potential upside of 80.02% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price objective on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $230.62.

Vistra Stock Up 4.5%

Shares of NYSE VST traded up $7.11 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $165.53. The stock had a trading volume of 936,837 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,976,111. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $153.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $158.52. Vistra has a 52 week low of $132.66 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The company has a market capitalization of $55.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.61 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. Analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 70,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,021,380. The trade was a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,152,000. This represents a 9.72% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227 over the last three months. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $746,729,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in shares of Vistra by 95.1% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 177,199 shares of the company's stock worth $26,638,000 after acquiring an additional 86,393 shares during the last quarter. Payden & Rygel lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 3,118.2% during the fourth quarter. Payden & Rygel now owns 35,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,711,000 after acquiring an additional 34,300 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $29,875,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in Vistra by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,768,694 shares of the company's stock valued at $285,343,000 after acquiring an additional 192,274 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra NYSE: VST is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company's operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra's core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.

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