Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 2.1% - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Vistra shares fell 2.1% on Tuesday, trading as low as $156.51 before last changing hands at $159.02, below the prior close of $162.38.
• Despite the pullback, Wall Street remains upbeat: analysts give Vistra an average rating of “Buy” with a consensus price target of $230.31, and several firms recently reiterated bullish ratings.
• The company reported a strong quarter, with earnings of $2.87 per share versus the $1.32 estimate and revenue of $5.64 billion, while also raising its quarterly dividend to $0.229 per share.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) traded down 2.1% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $156.51 and last traded at $159.0220. 4,128,864 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 19% from the average session volume of 5,095,854 shares. The stock had previously closed at $162.38.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on VST shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Vistra from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $210.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $230.31.

Vistra Stock Performance

The firm's fifty day moving average price is $154.76 and its 200-day moving average price is $159.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The company has a market cap of $53.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The business had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.22 billion. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.229 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is 15.41%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 70,714 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,021,380. This trade represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $4,000,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. This represents a 9.72% decrease in their position. 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. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. 90.88% of the stock is 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.

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