Vistra (NYSE:VST) Shares Up 1.8% – Here’s What Happened

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price was up 1.8% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $166.21 and last traded at $163.0220. Approximately 7,482,121 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 15% from the average daily volume of 6,530,222 shares. The stock had previously closed at $160.15.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group upped their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Evercore upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $237.00 to $243.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $237.53.

Vistra Trading Up 5.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a current ratio of 0.99 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $162.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $183.17. The stock has a market cap of $58.08 billion, a PE ratio of 61.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total value of $1,424,763.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 79,854 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,842,690.90. This trade represents a 9.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Forest Avenue Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 61.3% in the fourth quarter. Forest Avenue Capital Management LP now owns 1,121,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,958,000 after acquiring an additional 426,374 shares in the last quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC lifted its position in Vistra by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 7,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,141,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 39,588 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,387,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 59.9% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,114 shares of the company’s stock valued at $502,000 after purchasing an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vistra by 24.5% in the 4th quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 1,796 shares of the company’s stock worth $290,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vistra

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.