Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Vistra (NYSE:VST) had its price objective increased by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $239.00 to $240.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 64.12% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on VST. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 12th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price target for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $236.87.

Vistra Trading Down 12.6%

Shares of VST stock opened at $146.23 on Thursday. Vistra has a twelve month low of $90.51 and a twelve month high of $219.82. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $163.60 and its 200 day simple moving average is $177.38. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $49.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.42.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.45 by ($0.27). Vistra had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 81.09%. The firm had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vistra will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,445,000. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $1,241,000. FUKOKU MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE Co bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth $292,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 49.2% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 371,497 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,784,000 after purchasing an additional 122,545 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,059,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.