Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 9.6% – Time to Buy?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was up 9.6% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $143.07 and last traded at $138.23. Approximately 6,912,789 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 0% from the average daily volume of 6,909,673 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.09.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VST. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $145.40.

Vistra Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $48.75 billion, a PE ratio of 104.35 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $113.05 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $94.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.59 by ($0.69). Vistra had a return on equity of 21.05% and a net margin of 4.61%. The company had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 4.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.62%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.71%.

Vistra announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra by 1,505.9% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.