Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Lifted to “Hold” by Zacks Research

Vistra (NYSE:VST) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. HSBC began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $190.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $228.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price objective on shares of Vistra and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Raymond James Financial set a $176.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, October 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Vistra from $190.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $200.45.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VST traded down $1.56 during trading on Thursday, hitting $132.95. The company had a trading volume of 3,206,522 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,001,420. Vistra has a 52 week low of $110.89 and a 52 week high of $189.29. The business’s 50-day moving average is $143.19 and its 200 day moving average is $151.96. The company has a market cap of $45.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.97 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.16.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its earnings results on Friday, November 6th. The company reported $3.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.98 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $6.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.03 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 113.41% and a net margin of 13.15%. Equities research analysts predict that Vistra will post 8.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Friday, November 6th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to buy up to 3.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Share repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, CEO James Burke acquired 4,465 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at $155,044,108. The trade was a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 22,222 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total transaction of $3,558,631.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 308,915 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $49,469,648.10. This trade represents a 6.71% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VST. Jacobs Equity LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 6.7% during the third quarter. Jacobs Equity LLC now owns 4,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $658,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 279.1% in the third quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 32,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,510,000 after buying an additional 24,000 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $23,504,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 84.3% during the 3rd quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 1,393 shares of the company’s stock worth $193,000 after acquiring an additional 637 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Private Wealth Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth about $2,937,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra Corp. is an integrated energy company that generates and sells electricity and provides related services to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Its retail businesses offer electricity plans and energy services through brands that include TXU Energy and Ambit Energy. The company owns and operates a diverse generation fleet, including natural gas, nuclear, coal and solar facilities, as well as battery energy storage systems. Its operations serve customers and wholesale power markets across multiple U.S. regions, including Texas and the eastern and central United States.