Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 3.8% on Analyst Downgrade

Key Points

• Vistra shares fell 3.8% to $157.09 after TD Cowen cut its price target from $230 to $222, while maintaining a Buy rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive: Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $230.12, with 16 of 17 analysts rating the stock Buy or Strong Buy.
• Vistra reported quarterly EPS of $2.87, beating estimates by $1.55, and revenue of $5.64 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.229, equivalent to a 0.6% yield.

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 3.8% on Monday after TD Cowen lowered their price target on the stock from $230.00 to $222.00. TD Cowen currently has a buy rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $155.54 and last traded at $157.09. Approximately 4,474,200 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 4,943,506 shares. The stock had previously closed at $163.38.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price target on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $230.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 70,714 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,021,380. The trade was a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed 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 the business's 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at $746,729,000. Capital World Investors purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $574,499,000. Rubric Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $322,660,000. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 72.3% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,949,568 shares of the company's stock worth $314,524,000 after buying an additional 817,876 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 585.0% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 907,611 shares of the company's stock valued at $146,425,000 after buying an additional 775,104 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Price Performance

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 firm's 50-day moving average price is $156.05 and its 200-day moving average price is $158.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $52.97 billion, a PE ratio of 26.31 and a beta of 1.40.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were paid a $0.229 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is 15.41%.

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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