Vistra (NYSE:VST) Sets New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Saturday . The company traded as high as $169.19 and last traded at $167.08, with a volume of 9668696 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.81.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on VST. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Up 3.9 %

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $147.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $114.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $56.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th were given a dividend of $0.221 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.53%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 16.42%.

Vistra announced 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 reacquire up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % 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 90 days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Graypoint LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $223,000. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $69,000. First Hawaiian Bank acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $2,069,000. Doliver Advisors LP bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $236,000. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $488,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.