Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) EVP Scott A. Hudson Sells 115,000 Shares

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Vistra Trading Up 5.5 %

Shares of NYSE:VST traded up $8.49 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $162.63. The stock had a trading volume of 5,325,415 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,892,560. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $34.70 and a fifty-two week high of $168.67. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $128.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $100.54. The stock has a market cap of $55.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.07, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.54%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.42%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on VST. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $149.10.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vistra

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Forum Financial Management LP raised its position in shares of Vistra by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,366,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank increased its position in Vistra by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $448,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 3.0% in the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,809 shares of the company’s stock valued at $333,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 11,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,344,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 4.2% in the third quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $321,000 after buying an additional 109 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.