Trexquant Investment LP Takes Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new stake in Vistra Corp., purchasing 112,270 shares valued at approximately $13.2 million in the first quarter.
• Multiple brokerages have recently upgraded their price targets for Vistra Corp., with Jefferies Financial Group raising its target from $145.00 to $241.00 and maintaining a "buy" rating.
• Vistra has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.226 per share, reflecting an increase from the previous $0.23 and indicating a positive move for its investors.

Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 112,270 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,185,000.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. HM Payson & Co. grew its stake in Vistra by 275.4% during the first 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. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Trading Down 3.7%

NYSE VST traded down $7.37 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $189.33. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,995,743 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,131,851. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $195.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $159.09. The stock has a market cap of $64.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.34. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $72.90 and a 52 week high of $216.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.80.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.226 per share. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 19th. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.35%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total transaction of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 75,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. This trade represents a 24.77% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.75, for a total transaction of $8,637,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 255,192 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,084,418. The trade was a 16.38% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VST. Melius Research upgraded shares of Vistra to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $191.00 to $229.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Raymond James Financial began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Melius assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $295.00 price target on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $201.43.

Vistra 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.