CenterBook Partners LP Invests $602,000 in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Key Points

• CenterBook Partners LP has invested approximately $602,000 in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST), acquiring 5,124 shares during the first quarter.
• Vistra recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.226, reflecting a positive change from its previous dividend, with shares set to be paid on September 30th.
• Several analysts have elevated their price targets for Vistra, with ratings shifting towards a consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $178.69.

CenterBook Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $602,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. HM Payson & Co. lifted its stake in Vistra by 275.4% in the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 2,540.0% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 396 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST stock traded down $3.24 during trading on Friday, reaching $202.35. 4,060,980 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,319,267. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.66 billion, a PE ratio of 32.27, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.30. Vistra Corp. has a twelve month low of $72.90 and a twelve month high of $216.85. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $188.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.15.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.62). The business had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 101.61% and a net margin of 12.90%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.226 per share. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 14.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total value of $8,792,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 306,600 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,136,200. This represents a 15.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 35,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.44, for a total value of $5,650,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 88,073 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,218,505.12. This represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 294,000 shares of company stock worth $47,461,490 in the last three months. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on Vistra in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price objective on Vistra and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $241.00 price objective on Vistra and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $186.69.

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.