29,000 Shares in Vistra Corp. $VST Purchased by Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC

Key Points

• Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC opened a new position in Vistra Corp. in Q1, buying 29,000 shares valued at about $4.36 million.
• Vistra recently posted better-than-expected quarterly results, with earnings of $2.87 per share versus the $1.32 estimate and revenue of $5.64 billion versus $5.22 billion expected.
• The company also raised its dividend, paying $0.229 per share quarterly for a 0.6% annual yield, while analysts continue to view the stock favorably with an average “Buy” rating and a $230.31 target price.

Zweig DiMenna Associates LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 29,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,360,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VST opened at $158.47 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.55 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.79. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $153.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $158.52. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $132.66 and a 12 month high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were issued a $0.229 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on VST shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $210.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings raised Vistra from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $230.31.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. The trade was a 9.72% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Vistra Company Profile

Vistra NYSE: VST is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company's operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra's core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.

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