Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Gap Down – Should You Sell?

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $124.11, but opened at $117.50. Vistra shares last traded at $119.37, with a volume of 1,709,091 shares changing hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on VST shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $146.00 price objective (up from $125.00) on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, October 4th. 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. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Vistra from $110.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.50.

Vistra Trading Down 0.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $93.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $86.42. The company has a market cap of $42.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 89.46 and a beta of 1.10.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.69). The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 4.61% and a return on equity of 21.05%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.03 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 4.7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 20th were paid a dividend of $0.2195 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 64.71%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth $26,000. New Covenant Trust Company N.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth $32,000. CVA Family Office LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.