Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.3% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Vistra shares rose about 1.3% to $154.68 intraday, and analysts maintain a consensus Buy rating with an average price target of $236.87 (3 Strong Buy, 12 Buy, 1 Hold) and individual targets up to $293.
• The company missed quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.18 versus $2.45 expected and revenue of $4.58B versus $5.75B estimated, though ROE was reported at 81.09% and net margin at 5.32%.
• Vistra raised its quarterly dividend to $0.228 (annualized $0.91), yielding about 0.6% with a payout ratio of 41.94%.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 1.3% on Friday . The company traded as high as $158.63 and last traded at $154.68. 2,870,378 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 46% from the average session volume of 5,347,653 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.75.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VST. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $215.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $236.87.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.28, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.49. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $159.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.68.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.45 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%. As a group, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 20th were paid a $0.228 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 41.94%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. This represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% during the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.