Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Up 0.4% - Time to Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) rose 0.4% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $120.18 and last traded at $116.31. Approximately 1,759,162 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 7,866,997 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.87.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on VST. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $134.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $202.00 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $166.17.

Vistra Trading Down 0.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $39.21 billion, a PE ratio of 21.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $127.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.08.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at $6,341,513.97. The trade was a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 3,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vistra

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.