Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Down 5.1% - Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares fell 5.1% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $182.90 and last traded at $181.58. 2,195,013 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 7,137,672 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on VST shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $176.92.

Vistra Stock Up 6.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm's fifty day moving average is $174.33 and its 200-day moving average is $152.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $65.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.35, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.26.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 18th were paid a dividend of $0.225 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 14.15%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total transaction of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 75,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. This represents a 24.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total transaction of $8,637,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 255,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at $44,084,418. This represents a 16.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490 over the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vigilare Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth about $611,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. grew its position in shares of Vistra by 833.3% during the second quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. now owns 5,600 shares of the company's stock worth $1,085,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group acquired a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter worth about $260,000. Truist Financial Corp lifted its holdings in Vistra by 13.5% in the second quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 24,003 shares of the company's stock worth $4,652,000 after purchasing an additional 2,853 shares during the period. Finally, Bourgeon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter worth about $8,277,000. Institutional investors 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.