Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Stock Position Lessened by Reaves W H & Co. Inc.

Key Points

• Reaves W H & Co. Inc. has reduced its stake in Vistra Corp. by 9.5%, owning 1,484,344 shares after selling 156,198 shares during the first quarter.
• Several institutional investors, including Paloma Partners Management and Cordatus Wealth Management, have recently adjusted their positions in Vistra Corp., with overall institutional ownership now at 90.88%.
• Vistra Corp. announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226, with an annualized yield of 0.4%, reflecting a growth from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.23.

Reaves W H & Co. Inc. lessened its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 9.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,484,344 shares of the company's stock after selling 156,198 shares during the quarter. Vistra accounts for approximately 4.4% of Reaves W H & Co. Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. Reaves W H & Co. Inc. owned about 0.44% of Vistra worth $174,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. HM Payson & Co. boosted its position in Vistra by 275.4% during the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the first quarter worth $46,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 2,540.0% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 396 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 381 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VST shares. UBS Group upped their target price on Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Vistra from $134.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI set a $192.00 price objective on shares of Vistra and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $178.00 to $186.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. Finally, Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, June 13th. They set a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price objective on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $178.69.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VST traded up $4.54 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $205.39. The company had a trading volume of 8,939,814 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,090,072. The firm has a market cap of $69.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.29, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.53. The company's 50-day moving average price is $187.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $156.24. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $72.90 and a one year high of $216.85.

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 dividend of $0.226 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is 14.15%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.00, for a total value of $8,792,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 306,600 shares in the company, valued at $48,136,200. The trade was a 15.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John R. Sult sold 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.67, for a total transaction of $4,291,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 75,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,037,649.82. The trade was a 24.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 294,000 shares of company stock valued at $47,461,490 in the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.