Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 3.7% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Shares rose 3.7% to about $151.48 on Monday, and Wall Street is broadly positive on Vistra with an average analyst rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $236.87 after several recent upgrades.
• Vistra's quarterly results missed expectations, reporting $2.18 EPS and $4.58 billion in revenue versus consensus of $2.45 EPS and $5.75 billion in revenue.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.228 (annualized $0.91, ~0.6% yield), and EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares in March, cutting her stake by about 8%.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares traded up 3.7% on Monday . The company traded as high as $155.90 and last traded at $151.4790. 5,311,837 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 7% from the average session volume of 5,716,490 shares. The stock had previously closed at $146.02.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on VST. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Three equities research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $236.87.

Vistra Stock Up 3.7%

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $163.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $177.24. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The company has a market capitalization of $51.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 69.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.42.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,445,000. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,241,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $8,755,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 49.2% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 371,497 shares of the company's stock worth $72,784,000 after purchasing an additional 122,545 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,059,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

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.

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