MUFG Securities EMEA plc Grows Stake in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its Vistra stake by 114.4% in the fourth quarter, bringing its holdings to 13,072 shares valued at about $2.1 million.
• Institutional interest in Vistra remains strong, with hedge funds and other investors owning 90.88% of the stock; several firms also reported large new positions or major increases in holdings.
• Vistra reported solid quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, and it also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.229 per share, though the stock was trading down 3.5% in the latest session.

MUFG Securities EMEA plc grew its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 114.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,072 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 6,976 shares during the quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc's holdings in Vistra were worth $2,109,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $746,729,000. Palidye Holdings Caymans Ltd purchased a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $145,987,000. Situational Awareness LP grew its stake in Vistra by 142.3% during the 2nd quarter. Situational Awareness LP now owns 1,274,178 shares of the company's stock worth $246,948,000 after buying an additional 748,332 shares during the last quarter. Moore Capital Management LP grew its stake in Vistra by 2,072.6% during the 2nd quarter. Moore Capital Management LP now owns 528,657 shares of the company's stock worth $102,459,000 after buying an additional 504,324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rubric Capital Management LP grew its stake in Vistra by 50.6% during the 2nd quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,424,803 shares of the company's stock worth $276,141,000 after buying an additional 478,834 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VST shares. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $212.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and set a $241.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their target price on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $233.33.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 5,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.96, for a total value of $824,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 14,360 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,368,825.60. This represents a 25.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Vistra Trading Down 3.5%

Shares of VST stock opened at $154.70 on Tuesday. The business's 50 day moving average is $153.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.72. Vistra Corp. has a twelve month low of $132.66 and a twelve month high of $219.82. The company has a market capitalization of $52.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.91 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 analysts' expectations of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%. Equities analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 9.3 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a $0.229 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's payout ratio is 15.24%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.