Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Key Points

• Flputnam Investment Management Co. reduced its stake in Vistra Corp. by 4.9% in Q1, holding a total of 35,060 shares valued at approximately $4.12 million.
• Multiple analysts have upgraded Vistra Corp. with an average price target rising to $201.43, reflecting a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the investment community.
• Vistra announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226, with stockholders receiving this increase on September 30th.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. lessened its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 4.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,060 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,825 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Vistra were worth $4,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Vistra by 2.0% in the first quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,198 shares of the company's stock worth $493,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Oak Grove Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Oak Grove Capital LLC now owns 19,760 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,321,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its position in Vistra by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 6,409 shares of the company's stock worth $898,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares in the last quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 4.9% during the first quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,266 shares of the company's stock worth $266,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,980 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,100,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VST shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $145.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Melius started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $295.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $201.43.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total value of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 75,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. This trade represents a 24.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Trading Up 1.0%

Vistra stock traded up $1.85 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $189.97. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,769,407 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,904,480. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.36 billion, a PE ratio of 30.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.33. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $72.90 and a 1 year high of $216.85. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58. The stock's fifty day moving average is $195.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $159.63.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by ($0.62). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.41% and a net margin of 12.90%.The business had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. On average, analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 19th will be paid a $0.226 dividend. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 19th. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.35%.

Vistra Company Profile

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.