ING Groep NV Cuts Stock Holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Key Points

• ING Groep NV has significantly reduced its holdings in Vistra Corp. by 54.1%, selling 39,811 shares and ending with a total of 33,843 shares valued at approximately $3,975,000.
• Vistra Corp. has increased its quarterly dividend to $0.226 per share, enhancing the annualized dividend to $0.90 with a dividend yield of 0.4% for investors of record on September 19th.
• Several institutional investors, including HM Payson & Co. and Golden State Wealth Management LLC, have markedly increased their positions in Vistra, with hedge funds currently owning 90.88% of the company's stock.

ING Groep NV reduced its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 54.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 33,843 shares of the company's stock after selling 39,811 shares during the period. ING Groep NV's holdings in Vistra were worth $3,975,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VST. HM Payson & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at about $46,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 381 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 53.9% in the 1st quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA now owns 431 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE VST traded down $3.24 on Friday, hitting $202.35. 4,060,980 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,319,267. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $72.90 and a 1-year high of $216.85. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $188.82 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $156.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.66 billion, a PE ratio of 31.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.30.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 19th will be paid a dividend of $0.226 per share. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 19th. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. 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. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $241.00 target price on shares of Vistra and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, 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. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $186.69.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total transaction of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 75,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,037,649.82. The trade was a 24.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 50,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total transaction of $8,637,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 255,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,084,418. This trade represents a 16.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 294,000 shares of company stock worth $47,461,490. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

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.