Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 3.1% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Vistra Corp. shares rose 3.1% during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching a last price of $217.88 after previously closing at $211.28.
• Analysts have issued bullish forecasts, with BMO Capital Markets raising its price target for Vistra from $191 to $229 and three analysts rating the stock as a Strong Buy.
• The company also announced an increase in its quarterly dividend, now set at $0.226 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.4% for investors of record.

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) were up 3.1% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $219.82 and last traded at $217.88. Approximately 4,776,944 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 30% from the average daily volume of 6,784,624 shares. The stock had previously closed at $211.28.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised 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. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Scotiabank started coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday. They set a "sector outperform" rating and a $256.00 price target on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets upgraded Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $250.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price objective for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $213.73.

Vistra Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $73.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.75, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $198.11 and a 200-day moving average of $164.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.62). Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. The business had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS 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 dividend of $0.226 per share. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a 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 payout ratio is currently 14.35%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, CEO James A. Burke sold 21,360 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.50, for a total transaction of $4,517,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 233,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $49,330,683. The trade was a 8.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 190,847 shares of company stock worth $39,921,480. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Vistra by 25.5% during the 2nd quarter. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,966 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,544,000 after buying an additional 1,619 shares during the last quarter. WT Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $234,000. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $262,000. Centaurus Financial Inc. grew its position in Vistra by 159.1% during the second quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 11,689 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,265,000 after buying an additional 7,177 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC increased its holdings in Vistra by 25.1% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 23,775 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,608,000 after buying an additional 4,776 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.

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