Sciencast Management LP Takes $3.34 Million Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• Sciencast Management LP invested approximately $3.34 million in Vistra Corp. by acquiring 28,407 shares, reflecting growing interest from institutional investors in the company.
• Multiple analysts have raised their price targets for Vistra, with UBS Group increasing it from $207 to $230, signaling strong optimism about the stock's future performance.
• Vistra recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226 per share, with a payout ratio of 14.35%, indicating a commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Sciencast Management LP bought a new stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 28,407 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,336,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. HM Payson & Co. grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 275.4% in the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Banque Transatlantique SA increased its stake in Vistra by 132.0% during the first quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the first quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Melius began coverage on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $295.00 price target on the stock. Melius Research upgraded shares of Vistra to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 20th. 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 target price for the company. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $145.00 to $241.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $201.43.

Vistra Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of Vistra stock traded down $4.54 on Thursday, hitting $204.67. 4,397,304 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,866,305. 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 company has a market cap of $69.35 billion, a PE ratio of 32.64, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.33. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $195.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $160.65. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $79.03 and a 52 week high of $216.85.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Friday, September 19th will be paid a $0.226 dividend. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 14.35%.

About Vistra

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.