Strs Ohio Grows Stock Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• Strs Ohio increased its stake in Vistra Corp. by 6.6% in the first quarter, buying 10,988 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 176,892 shares worth about $26.6 million.
• Vistra reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of $2.87 versus estimates of $1.32 and revenue of $5.64 billion versus expectations of $5.22 billion.
• Analysts remain bullish on the stock, with two Strong Buy ratings, 13 Buy ratings, and an average price target of $230.31, well above the recent trading price around $150.98.

Strs Ohio lifted its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 6.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 176,892 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,988 shares during the period. Strs Ohio owned 0.05% of Vistra worth $26,592,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock opened at $150.98 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $154.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $158.92. The stock has a market cap of $50.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.29 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.79. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $132.66 and a 1-year high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released 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. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. On average, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.52 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd were given a $0.229 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 22nd. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,152,000. The trade was a 9.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the company's 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 41,588 shares of company stock worth $6,739,227. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VST. Seaport Research Partners restated a "buy" rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $190.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $210.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price target on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $230.31.

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.