Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock Price Expected to Rise, UBS Group Analyst Says

Vistra (NYSE:VST) had its target price lifted by equities researchers at UBS Group from $161.00 to $174.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 7.17% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.50.

Vistra Stock Up 8.5 %

Shares of NYSE:VST opened at $162.36 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $55.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.29, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.21. Vistra has a 12 month low of $38.08 and a 12 month high of $168.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $143.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $111.48.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vistra

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Forum Financial Management LP increased its stake in Vistra by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 11,527 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,366,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Umpqua Bank grew its stake in Vistra by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Umpqua Bank now owns 3,780 shares of the company’s stock valued at $448,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 81 shares during the period. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 0.9% during the third quarter. Douglass Winthrop Advisors LLC now owns 11,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,344,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in 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 during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.