Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 1.3% - Should You Sell?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) were down 1.3% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $151.26 and last traded at $152.87. Approximately 1,576,530 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 6,878,297 shares. The stock had previously closed at $154.86.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 23rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted 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. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. UBS Group dropped their price target on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $145.40.

Vistra Trading Down 0.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $52.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.52 and a beta of 1.09. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $122.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $98.51. 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 firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. State Street Corp lifted its position in Vistra by 6.8% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,355,255 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,938,752,000 after purchasing an additional 1,037,402 shares during the last quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 6.6% in the second quarter. Lone Pine Capital LLC now owns 6,838,007 shares of the company's stock worth $587,932,000 after buying an additional 425,126 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in Vistra by 51.1% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,826,631 shares of the company's stock valued at $453,609,000 after buying an additional 1,293,974 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in Vistra by 36.0% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,781,908 shares of the company's stock valued at $448,320,000 after buying an additional 1,000,307 shares during the period. Finally, Castle Hook Partners LP grew its holdings in Vistra by 33.5% in the 3rd quarter. Castle Hook Partners LP now owns 2,610,273 shares of the company's stock worth $309,422,000 after acquiring an additional 654,568 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

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.

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