Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Third Point LLC

Key Points

• Third Point LLC has decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. by 15%, owning 850,000 shares after selling 150,000 shares recently.
• Vistra Corp. reported earnings per share of $1.01 for the quarter, missing analysts' estimates of $1.63, with revenue of $4.25 billion against expectations of $5.15 billion.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.226 per share, reflecting a dividend yield of 0.5%, with payment scheduled for September 30th.

Third Point LLC lowered its position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 15.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 850,000 shares of the company's stock after selling 150,000 shares during the quarter. Vistra comprises approximately 1.5% of Third Point LLC's holdings, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Third Point LLC owned approximately 0.25% of Vistra worth $99,824,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Banque Transatlantique SA increased its position in shares of Vistra by 132.0% in the first quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. HM Payson & Co. increased its holdings in Vistra by 275.4% in the 1st quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth about $37,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Price Performance

VST opened at $187.73 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $63.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.94, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.33. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $72.90 and a 1-year high of $216.85. The company has a 50-day moving average of $195.43 and a 200-day moving average of $159.84. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.63 by ($0.62). Vistra had a net margin of 12.90% and a return on equity of 108.41%. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. Equities analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm 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 dividend of $0.226 per share. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 19th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.35%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $207.00 target price on Vistra and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $191.00 to $229.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Vistra from $145.00 to $241.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. 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 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.

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