Denali Advisors LLC Raises Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 4.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 51,645 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,123 shares during the quarter. Denali Advisors LLC's holdings in Vistra were worth $6,065,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Tucker Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. HM Payson & Co. lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 275.4% during the first quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in Vistra by 1,611.8% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 291 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares during the period. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth about $46,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 28th. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 target price on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $176.92.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 35,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 88,073 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,218,505.12. This trade represents a 28.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 108,000 shares of the firm'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 directly owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,259,158.22. The trade was a 33.10% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Up 6.1%

Shares of NYSE VST traded up $11.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $193.04. The company had a trading volume of 6,414,225 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,118,667. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $66.50 and a 12-month high of $200.25. 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 business's 50-day moving average is $175.48 and its 200 day moving average is $152.70. The stock has a market cap of $65.50 billion, a PE ratio of 30.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.26.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 18th were issued a $0.225 dividend. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.47%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.