Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Stake Lessened by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. decreased its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 82.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,451 shares of the company's stock after selling 164,235 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.'s holdings in Vistra were worth $4,163,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tucker Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Vistra by 2,030.0% during the 4th quarter. Cherry Tree Wealth Management LLC now owns 213 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Whittier Trust Co. grew its position in Vistra by 1,611.8% in the fourth quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 291 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently commented on VST. Raymond James assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $178.00 target price (up from $172.00) on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Vistra from $154.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $172.69.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 108,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $156.98, for a total transaction of $16,953,840.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,259,158.22. The trade was a 33.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total value of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 75,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. This represents a 24.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST stock traded up $3.56 on Monday, hitting $177.31. 4,172,544 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,326,730. The company's fifty day moving average is $143.01 and its 200 day moving average is $145.25. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $66.50 and a 1-year high of $199.84. The company has a market capitalization of $60.17 billion, a PE ratio of 33.08, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 18th will be issued a $0.225 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.15%.

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.