Vistra (NYSE:VST) Price Target Raised to $212.00 at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised Vistra’s price target from $208 to $212 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 40.8% upside from the reported $150.59 share price.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and average target price of $229.88. Vistra also exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.87 in EPS versus the $1.32 consensus and $5.64 billion in revenue.
• Vistra shares fell $6.49 to $150.59 in Tuesday trading, while insiders sold approximately $6.7 million of stock over the past three months; institutional investors own 90.88% of the company.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) had its price objective boosted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $208.00 to $212.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price suggests a potential upside of 40.77% from the stock's current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $222.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $227.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $229.88.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock traded down $6.49 on Tuesday, reaching $150.59. 3,333,705 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,936,157. The stock has a market cap of $50.78 billion, a PE ratio of 25.21 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. Vistra has a twelve month low of $132.66 and a twelve month high of $219.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $156.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.35.

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

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, 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 transaction of $4,000,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,152,000. This represents a 9.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. Insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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