Vistra Corp. $VST Stake Lifted by Situational Awareness LP

Key Points

• Situational Awareness LP increased its holdings in Vistra Corp. by 22.7%, owning 525,846 shares, which now represents 6.1% of its portfolio.
• Analysts have raised their price targets for Vistra, with Goldman Sachs setting their target at $203.00 and BMO Capital at $229.00, reflecting a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy".
• Vistra recently announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226 per share, effective September 30th, representing a yield of 0.5% based on an annualized dividend of $0.90.

Situational Awareness LP lifted its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 22.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 525,846 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 97,449 shares during the quarter. Vistra comprises about 6.1% of Situational Awareness LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Situational Awareness LP owned approximately 0.15% of Vistra worth $61,755,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VST. HM Payson & Co. grew its stake in shares of Vistra by 275.4% during the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter worth $34,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 1st quarter worth $46,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on VST shares. Melius started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $295.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 price target on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $207.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $179.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 13th. Finally, Raymond James Financial initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, June 13th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $216.00 price objective on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $201.43.

Vistra Price Performance

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 stock has a market cap of $64.15 billion, a PE ratio of 30.20, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.34. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $72.90 and a fifty-two week high of $216.85. The company's 50-day moving average is $195.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $159.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.58, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.90.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $4.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. Analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Vistra

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