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Paul M. Barbas, a director at Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST), recently sold a significant portion of his holdings in the company, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. On March 3, Barbas disposed of a total of 48,271 shares of Vistra’s common stock, with the transactions occurring at prices ranging from $123.60 to $125.12 per share. The total value of these sales amounted to approximately $5.99 million. The sale comes as Vistra, now valued at approximately $40 billion, has demonstrated strong performance with a nearly 95% return over the past year. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company appears slightly undervalued at current levels.
After these transactions, Barbas retains direct ownership of 51,063 shares, while indirectly owning an additional 9,785 shares through his spouse. These sales reflect a notable reduction in Barbas’s stake in the electric services company, which is headquartered in Irving, Texas. InvestingPro data reveals that despite this insider sale, management has been actively buying back shares, and the company maintains strong fundamentals with a healthy 43.7% gross profit margin. Discover 10+ additional exclusive insights about Vistra’s financial health and future prospects with an InvestingPro subscription.
In other recent news, Vistra Energy Corp reported strong fourth-quarter 2024 earnings, surpassing analyst expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of $2.38, significantly higher than the forecasted $1.39. The company’s revenue also exceeded projections, coming in at $17.22 billion compared to the anticipated $3.72 billion. Despite these impressive financial results, Vistra’s stock experienced a decline, reflecting complex investor sentiment. In related developments, BofA Securities upgraded Vistra Energy’s stock from Neutral to Buy, although they reduced the price target from $164 to $152. This upgrade was based on confidence in Vistra’s fundamentals and future prospects, despite recent underperformance due to the absence of new datacenter announcements.
Additionally, Fitch Ratings revised the outlook on Vistra Holdings Limited’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating from Stable to Negative while affirming the IDR at ’B+’. This revision was attributed to a slower than anticipated deleveraging pace, with EBITDA net leverage expected to remain high until 2026. Despite these challenges, Fitch highlighted Vistra’s stable business profile and expects the company to benefit from a defensive business model with resilient demand and a high degree of recurring revenue. Lastly, Vistra’s strategic initiatives, including investments in solar and energy storage projects, remain a focal point, with over $700 million earmarked for 2025. These developments underscore Vistra’s ongoing efforts to position itself advantageously in the evolving energy market.
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