Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 1.3% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Vistra shares rose 1.3% in Thursday trading, even as volume came in below average. The stock traded as high as $169.06 and last changed hands at $168.84.
• Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from hold to strong buy, and Wall Street’s consensus target still implies about 34% upside from current levels. Analysts overall remain bullish, with a consensus rating of Buy and a target price around $230.62.
• The company recently beat earnings expectations with Q1 EPS of $2.87 versus $1.32 expected, and it also raised its quarterly dividend. Investors are now watching for the next earnings report on August 7.

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) traded up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $169.06 and last traded at $168.84. 2,533,501 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 49% from the average session volume of 4,968,817 shares. The stock had previously closed at $166.74.

Key Headlines Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from hold to strong buy, which supports the view that analysts see improved fundamentals and a more favorable setup for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts’ consensus price target suggests about 34% upside from current levels, reinforcing bullish expectations around Vistra’s earnings outlook and valuation.
• Positive Sentiment: Investor attention has increased around Vistra on Zacks, and a fresh article argues the stock may still be undervalued relative to power-demand optimism, which can attract momentum buyers ahead of the company’s August 7 earnings report. Article: Vistra (VST) Could Be 26% Below Fair Value On Power Demand Optimism

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price objective on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $230.62.

Vistra Trading Up 1.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The company has a market cap of $56.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.28 and a beta of 1.40. The business's fifty day moving average price is $155.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $158.41.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%.The business had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd were issued a $0.229 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 22nd. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.41%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,561,600. This represents a 32.03% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total value of $37,332.00. Following the sale, the director owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,109,918. The trade was a 0.46% 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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Equitable Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 0.9% in the third quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company's stock worth $1,380,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. increased its position in Vistra by 21.7% during the 4th quarter. SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. now owns 365 shares of the company's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Vistra by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,770 shares of the company's stock valued at $286,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 2,409 shares of the company's stock valued at $389,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 4.9% in the first quarter. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,511 shares of the company's stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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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