Vistra (NYSE:VST) Hits New 52-Week High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) reached a new 52-week high of $219.70, closing at $218.55 with significant trading volume of over 2.5 million shares.
• A number of analysts have upgraded Vistra, with target prices ranging from $203.00 to $256.00, and an overall consensus rating of "Buy."
• Vistra announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226 per share, reflecting a yield of 0.4% and a dividend payout ratio of 14.35%.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $219.70 and last traded at $218.55, with a volume of 2575098 shares. The stock had previously closed at $211.28.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $191.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Melius Research raised shares of Vistra to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $230.00 price target (down from $241.00) on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Finally, Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday. They issued a "sector outperform" rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $213.00.

Vistra Stock Performance

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $198.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $165.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.99, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.62). The company had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. Equities analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 19th will be given a $0.226 dividend. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 19th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 43,074 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $208.75, for a total value of $8,991,697.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 217,025 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,303,968.75. This represents a 16.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 190,847 shares of company stock valued at $39,921,480 in the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. City State Bank boosted its stake in Vistra by 210.0% in the second quarter. City State Bank now owns 155 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 19,300.0% in the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 65.9% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 214 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.