Vistra (NYSE:VST) Sets New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $200.25 and last traded at $198.28, with a volume of 2983345 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $190.18.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on VST shares. UBS Group raised their price target on Vistra from $160.00 to $207.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 17th. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Vistra in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 target price on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $176.92.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53. The firm has a market cap of $66.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.26. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $168.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $150.19.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 18th were given a $0.225 dividend. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total value of $8,792,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 306,600 shares in the company, valued at $48,136,200. This trade represents a 15.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.44, for a total value of $5,650,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 88,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,218,505.12. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 294,000 shares of company stock worth $47,461,490 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Banque Transatlantique SA boosted its position in Vistra by 132.0% during the 1st quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. HM Payson & Co. lifted its holdings in Vistra by 275.4% in the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

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.