Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Down 4.9% Following Analyst Downgrade

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) traded down 4.9% on Wednesday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $249.00 to $233.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an overweight rating on the stock. Vistra traded as low as $164.72 and last traded at $165.0260. 610,490 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 90% from the average session volume of 6,197,815 shares. The stock had previously closed at $173.45.

VST has been the topic of several other research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, September 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, December 8th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 target price on the stock. Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Finally, Daiwa America upgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $232.40.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.86, for a total transaction of $9,456,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 306,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,772,476. This trade represents a 15.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at $38,137,265.25. This trade represents a 21.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 699,743 shares of company stock valued at $136,926,878 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Banque Transatlantique SA grew its stake in Vistra by 132.0% during the 1st quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp grew its position in shares of Vistra by 2,700.0% during the third quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Trading Up 4.0%

The firm has a market cap of $56.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.39. The business’s 50 day moving average is $182.31 and its 200-day moving average is $189.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd will be paid a $0.227 dividend. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 22nd. Vistra’s payout ratio is 32.49%.

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.