Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.1% After Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Vistra shares rose 1.1% after Scotiabank lifted its price target from $293 to $298 and maintained a sector outperform rating. The stock traded as high as $166.94 on heavier-than-average volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with an average “Buy” rating and an average price target of $230.62. Several firms have recently adjusted targets, including TD Cowen, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, and Sanford C. Bernstein.
• Vistra reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.87 versus expectations of $1.32 and revenue of $5.64 billion versus the $5.22 billion estimate. The company also recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.229 per share.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 1.1% during trading on Wednesday after Scotiabank raised their price target on the stock from $293.00 to $298.00. Scotiabank currently has a sector outperform rating on the stock. Vistra traded as high as $166.94 and last traded at $160.2380. 5,497,729 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 10% from the average session volume of 5,012,522 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.43.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the company. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $210.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $230.62.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $736,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,760 shares in the company, valued at $1,561,600. The trade was a 32.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 70,714 shares in the company, valued at $12,021,380. This represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 sold a total of 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Trading Up 1.1%

The company has a market capitalization of $54.03 billion, a PE ratio of 26.84 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $153.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $158.52. 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 (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were given a dividend of $0.229 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 22nd. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.24%.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.