Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Up 2.4% on Insider Buying Activity

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) shares were up 2.4% during mid-day trading on Monday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The company traded as high as $128.18 and last traded at $127.45. Approximately 1,906,823 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 7,492,145 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.46.

Specifically, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.83.

Vistra Stock Up 1.3 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $42.90 billion, a PE ratio of 23.53, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 company’s fifty day simple moving average is $154.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $137.71.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.62%.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. now owns 2,064 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC lifted its position in Vistra by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 3.0% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the company’s stock worth $333,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Paloma Partners Management Co grew its position in Vistra by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Paloma Partners Management Co now owns 8,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,103,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.