Vistra (NYSE:VST) Sets New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) reached a new 52-week high on Friday . The company traded as high as $144.62 and last traded at $142.83, with a volume of 1531941 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $135.73.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VST shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective for the company. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $145.40.

Vistra Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $48.75 billion, a PE ratio of 26.47 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $113.05 and its 200-day moving average is $94.99.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.59 by ($0.69). The firm had revenue of $3.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.04 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 21.05% and a net margin of 4.61%. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.03 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 4.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.62%. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. 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 buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at about $26,000. ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 125.0% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 360 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is 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.