BMO Capital Markets Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Vistra (NYSE:VST) Stock

Vistra (NYSE:VST) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $151.00 to $191.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets’ target price indicates a potential downside of 0.36% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. Guggenheim lifted their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $168.20.

Vistra Price Performance

VST opened at $191.70 on Wednesday. Vistra has a 12-month low of $39.13 and a 12-month high of $199.84. 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 business’s fifty day simple moving average is $155.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $119.39. The company has a market capitalization of $65.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.76, a PEG ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $4.01. Vistra had a return on equity of 57.63% and a net margin of 12.51%. The company had revenue of $6.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.25 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Vistra will post 4.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, 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 Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP lifted its holdings 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 valued at $1,366,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Umpqua Bank increased its stake in Vistra by 2.2% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 3.0% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

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.