Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 2% - Should You Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) shares traded up 2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $140.88 and last traded at $139.66. 1,355,192 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 6,744,831 shares. The stock had previously closed at $136.98.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on VST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $178.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Trading Up 2.0 %

The firm has a market cap of $47.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The company's fifty day moving average price is $140.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $107.12.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be paid a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.63%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 16.42%.

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

Insider Activity

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business's 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last three months. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

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

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.