Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading 2.5% Higher - Time to Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) traded up 2.5% on Monday . The company traded as high as $146.98 and last traded at $145.76. 931,236 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 6,883,550 shares. The stock had previously closed at $142.15.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $178.00 price target on the stock. Guggenheim increased their target price on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $145.40.

Vistra Stock Up 4.4 %

The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $119.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $97.52. The stock has a market cap of $50.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.19 and a beta of 1.09.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VST. Chiron Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vistra by 251.2% during the third quarter. Chiron Investment Management LLC now owns 6,739 shares of the company's stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 4,820 shares during the period. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $1,215,000. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $17,781,000. Segra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $15,493,000. Finally, Brophy Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $774,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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