35,019 Shares in Vistra Corp. $VST Acquired by Sicart Associates LLC

Key Points

• Sicart Associates LLC acquired 35,019 Vistra shares worth approximately $5.3 million in the third quarter, making Vistra 1.3% of its portfolio. Institutional investors collectively own 90.88% of the company.
• Vistra’s stock opened at $138.15, near its 12-month low, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.76—well below the $1.61 analyst consensus—and revenue of $4.02 billion versus expectations of $5.46 billion.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.231 per share, while analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $202.43 target price.

Sicart Associates LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 35,019 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,324,000. Vistra accounts for approximately 1.3% of Sicart Associates LLC's holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VST. Premier Financial Group acquired a new position in Vistra during the second quarter worth $34,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd purchased a new position in Vistra during the second quarter valued at $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $39,000. Latitude Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Fiduciary Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $75,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Down 0.2%

VST stock opened at $138.15 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $145.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $153.71. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $132.66 and a 12 month high of $196.80. The company has a market cap of $46.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.34 and a beta of 1.38.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.46 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 22nd will be issued a $0.2310 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 22nd. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.54%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on VST shares. Weiss Ratings cut Vistra from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. HSBC began coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Lake Street Capital set a $194.00 target price on Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, October 27th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce lowered their price target on Vistra from $201.00 to $181.00 and set an "outperformer" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $181.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $202.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott Hudson sold 22,222 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total value of $3,558,631.08. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 308,915 shares of the company's stock, valued at $49,469,648.10. This trade represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO James A. Burke purchased 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $135.25 per share, for a total transaction of $603,891.25. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at approximately $155,044,108. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. NYSE: VST is an integrated energy company based in Irving, Texas. The company operates across electricity generation, power distribution support, energy marketing and retail electricity sales, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers primarily in the United States.

Vistra owns and operates a diverse portfolio of power generation and energy storage facilities. Its assets include natural gas, nuclear, coal and renewable generation, as well as battery storage projects.

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