Vistra (NYSE:VST) Trading Down 2.6% After Insider Selling

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)’s share price fell 2.6% during trading on Thursday following insider selling activity. The stock traded as low as $115.79 and last traded at $118.80. 2,201,768 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 71% from the average session volume of 7,489,485 shares. The stock had previously closed at $121.92.

Specifically, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VST has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.83.

Vistra Trading Up 5.4 %

The firm has a market cap of $42.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.21, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $155.96 and a 200 day moving average of $136.40.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.62%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VST. Apollon Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $231,000. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 8.8% in the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $532,000 after buying an additional 363 shares during the period. Prime Capital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the third quarter worth about $247,000. Cable Hill Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $267,000. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at approximately $235,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by 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.