Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, ten have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $172.69.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VST. Raymond James began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday. They set a “strong-buy” rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total value of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 75,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. The trade was a 24.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 50,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total value of $8,637,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 255,192 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $44,084,418. This represents a 16.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Banque Transatlantique SA lifted its stake in Vistra by 132.0% in the first quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. lifted its stake in Vistra by 275.4% in the first quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 2,030.0% in the fourth quarter. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC now owns 213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Up 2.0%

NYSE VST opened at $177.31 on Tuesday. Vistra has a 52 week low of $66.50 and a 52 week high of $199.84. 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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $144.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.37. The firm has a market cap of $60.17 billion, a PE ratio of 33.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, June 18th will be issued a $0.225 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.15%.

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.