Viking Fund Management LLC Has $3.41 Million Stock Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Viking Fund Management LLC grew its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 52.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,000 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares during the period. Viking Fund Management LLC's holdings in Vistra were worth $3,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VST. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $409,087,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,260,363 shares of the company's stock valued at $863,116,000 after purchasing an additional 2,433,732 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $286,414,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $237,441,000. Finally, Appaloosa LP lifted its holdings in Vistra by 112.5% in the fourth quarter. Appaloosa LP now owns 2,700,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $372,249,000 after buying an additional 1,429,612 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE:VST traded down $1.89 on Thursday, hitting $170.80. 4,286,227 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 8,223,639. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $134.69 and a 200-day moving average price of $144.74. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $66.50 and a 52 week high of $199.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The company has a market cap of $57.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.225 per share. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.53%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 18th. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 14.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on VST shares. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price target on Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $178.00 price target (up from $172.00) on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $169.08.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.44, for a total value of $5,650,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 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 ninety days, insiders have sold 219,000 shares of company stock valued at $34,532,240. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.