Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 0.3% After Analyst Downgrade

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price traded down 0.3% on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $203.00 to $186.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $117.77 and last traded at $118.94. 2,290,811 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 7,487,688 shares. The stock had previously closed at $119.31.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on VST. Bank of America upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. BMO Capital Markets increased 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. Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. Daiwa Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $163.50.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents 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 company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vistra

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in 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. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Price Performance

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 business has a fifty day moving average price of $147.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $139.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.49 billion, a PE ratio of 22.21, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued 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 yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

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.