Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Patton Fund Management Inc.

Key Points

• Patton Fund Management cut its stake in Vistra (NYSE:VST) by 91.0%, selling 15,188 shares and leaving 1,497 shares valued at about $242,000 at quarter-end.
• Vistra missed quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $2.18 versus $2.45 expected and revenue of $4.58B versus $5.75B expected.
• Wall Street remains largely positive, with a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price around $236.87.

Patton Fund Management Inc. decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 91.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,497 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,188 shares during the period. Patton Fund Management Inc.'s holdings in Vistra were worth $242,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,445,000. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $8,755,000. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Vistra by 39.9% during the fourth quarter. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC now owns 78,855 shares of the company's stock worth $12,722,000 after purchasing an additional 22,492 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Funds Management LTD acquired a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth about $1,241,000. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Vistra by 49.2% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 371,497 shares of the company's stock worth $72,784,000 after purchasing an additional 122,545 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of VST opened at $163.93 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $160.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $171.19. The stock has a market cap of $55.50 billion, a PE ratio of 75.54, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.49. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $103.34 and a 1-year high of $219.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.69.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.45 by ($0.27). Vistra had a return on equity of 81.09% and a net margin of 5.32%.The company had revenue of $4.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.75 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.228 per share. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.94%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $215.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Friday, February 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Vistra from $239.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $236.87.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total value of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.92% of the company's stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.

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