BankChampaign National Association Purchases New Stake in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• BankChampaign National Association purchased 7,209 Vistra shares worth approximately $1.08 million, while other institutions also increased positions. Institutional investors now own 90.88% of Vistra’s stock.
• Wall Street remains broadly positive, with three Strong Buy and thirteen Buy ratings and an average price target of $229.88, well above the reported $148.31 share price.
• Vistra beat quarterly expectations with $2.87 in earnings per share versus a $1.32 consensus estimate and $5.64 billion in revenue. The company also declared a $0.23 quarterly dividend, equal to a 0.6% annualized yield.

BankChampaign National Association bought a new position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,209 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,084,000. Vistra makes up about 1.1% of BankChampaign National Association's portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest position.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Hobbs Group Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at about $242,000. Western Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 58.7% in the first quarter. Western Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,383 shares of the company's stock valued at $509,000 after buying an additional 1,251 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. raised its stake in Vistra by 28.9% in the 1st quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 12,238 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,840,000 after acquiring an additional 2,743 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 14.2% in the first quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 2,420 shares of the company's stock valued at $364,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 41.1% during the first quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 9,109 shares of the company's stock worth $1,369,000 after acquiring an additional 2,655 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on VST. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price objective on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Scotiabank raised their price target on Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective 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. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $229.88.

Vistra Price Performance

VST opened at $148.31 on Friday. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a market cap of $50.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.84 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $156.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $158.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.32 by $1.55. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The business had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. Research analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 15.41%.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Vistra to $212 and maintained a favorable view, providing a bullish valuation signal and potential support for the stock. Morgan Stanley Raises Vistra Price Target to $212
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley also issued a “Buy” rating, reinforcing the view that Vistra’s power-generation assets and exposure to rising electricity demand could offer further upside. Vistra Gets a Buy from Morgan Stanley
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra declared a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.23 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 21. The roughly $75 million distribution offers continued shareholder returns and was described as a modest increase from the prior dividend. Vistra Declares Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra’s valuation appears mixed following its pullback. Potential growth from data-center electricity demand remains an investment theme, but new limits affecting data-center development in New York could constrain some expansion expectations. Vistra Stock Looks Reasonable Following New York Data Center Limits
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst downgrades and a pessimistic TD Cowen forecast pressured the shares, highlighting concerns about Vistra’s outlook and contributing to the recent decline. TD Cowen Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Vistra

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 70,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,021,380. This represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total value of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold a total of 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227 over the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.