Vistra (NYSE:VST) Lowered to Hold Rating by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Vistra from “strong buy” to “hold.” Despite the downgrade, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $226.
• Vistra’s shares opened at $142.44, well below the 52-week high of $219.82. The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $0.76 in EPS versus a $1.61 consensus estimate and $4.02 billion in revenue versus $5.46 billion expected.
• Insiders sold approximately $6.7 million of Vistra stock during the last quarter, while institutional investors continue to own a substantial 90.88% of the company.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price objective on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Scotiabank lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $226.00.

Vistra Price Performance

VST stock opened at $142.44 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $154.10 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $156.11. Vistra has a 1 year low of $132.66 and a 1 year high of $219.82. The stock has a market cap of $47.81 billion, a PE ratio of 24.06 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. Equities analysts forecast that Vistra will post 9.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.96, for a total value of $824,800.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 14,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,368,825.60. This represents a 25.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. This represents a 9.72% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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 quarter. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 74.8% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 215 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

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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