LSV Asset Management Has $18.26 Million Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Key Points

• LSV Asset Management significantly reduced its stake in Vistra Corp. by 82.7%, selling 740,992 shares and owning 155,496 shares valued at approximately $18.26 million.
• Vistra recently announced a dividend increase to $0.226 per share, up from $0.23, and will be paid on September 30th, with a dividend yield of 0.4%.
• Analyst ratings for Vistra are generally positive, with a consensus average rating of "Moderate Buy" and price targets ranging from $164.00 to $230.00.

LSV Asset Management decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 82.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 155,496 shares of the company's stock after selling 740,992 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management's holdings in Vistra were worth $18,261,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of VST. World Investment Advisors increased its holdings in Vistra by 24.9% in the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 3,695 shares of the company's stock valued at $509,000 after buying an additional 737 shares during the period. Pitcairn Co. bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $202,000. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $13,708,000. Wedbush Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Vistra by 19.7% in the 4th quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 8,754 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,207,000 after buying an additional 1,442 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Vistra by 28.7% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 198,078 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,309,000 after buying an additional 44,161 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE:VST traded down $1.19 during trading on Friday, reaching $204.41. The stock had a trading volume of 2,408,652 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,302,195. The firm's fifty day moving average is $187.98 and its 200 day moving average is $156.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 0.86. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $72.90 and a 52 week high of $216.85. The stock has a market cap of $69.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.18, a P/E/G ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.30.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 14.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total transaction of $8,792,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 306,600 shares in the company, valued at $48,136,200. The trade was a 15.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 35,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.44, for a total transaction of $5,650,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 88,073 shares in the company, valued at $14,218,505.12. The trade was a 28.44% decrease in their position. 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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VST. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 25th. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Three investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $178.69.

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.