Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 1,267,425 Shares of Vistra Corp. $VST

Janus Henderson Group PLC lessened its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 42.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,691,315 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,267,425 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned 0.50% of Vistra worth $254,248,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 24.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company's stock worth $2,371,000 after purchasing an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Vistra by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,376,000 after purchasing an additional 8,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in Vistra by 37.3% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company's stock worth $920,000 after buying an additional 2,125 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $269,000. Finally, Slocum Gordon & Co LLP grew its position in shares of Vistra by 20.0% in the 2nd quarter. Slocum Gordon & Co LLP now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 53,006 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,109,918. This represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.96, for a total transaction of $824,800.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 14,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,368,825.60. The trade was a 25.83% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

More Vistra News

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

Vistra Trading Up 3.9%

VST opened at $148.31 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $132.66 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The stock has a market cap of $50.01 billion, a PE ratio of 24.84 and a beta of 1.40. The business has a 50 day moving average of $156.69 and a 200-day moving average of $158.12.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. Vistra's payout ratio is 15.41%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $208.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $229.88.

About Vistra

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.

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