Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 0% - Here's Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) fell 0% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $137.52 and last traded at $139.75. 1,039,787 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 6,744,452 shares. The stock had previously closed at $139.77.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on VST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Guggenheim raised their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Down 4.9 %

The company has a market capitalization of $45.21 billion, a PE ratio of 24.79, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $106.73. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. 90.88% of the stock is 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.