Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 7.4% – What’s Next?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) dropped 7.4% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $163.01 and last traded at $166.93. Approximately 13,202,072 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 77% from the average daily volume of 7,474,862 shares. The stock had previously closed at $180.18.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on VST. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.40.

Vistra Stock Down 7.4%

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $169.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $188.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The company has a market cap of $56.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.41.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03). Vistra had a net margin of 6.70% and a return on equity of 64.04%. The business had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.60 billion. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.227 per share. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 22nd. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 32.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This trade represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $10,183,556.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at $38,137,265.25. The trade was a 21.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 278,995 shares of company stock valued at $50,757,547. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Vistra by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 1,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $350,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Y.D. More Investments Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 7.1% in the third quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 916 shares of the company’s stock worth $168,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the third quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,380,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 3,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $642,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealth Effects LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Vistra

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.