Vistra Corp. $VST Stock Position Increased by Empire Life Investments Inc.

Key Points

• Empire Life Investments increased its Vistra stake by 16.8% in the fourth quarter, now holding 252,338 shares valued at about $40.7 million. Vistra is now one of the firm’s top holdings.
• Vistra reported strong quarterly earnings, posting $2.87 EPS versus $1.32 expected and revenue of $5.64 billion versus $5.22 billion forecast. The company also posted a net margin of 11.52% and return on equity of 105.64%.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.229 per share, payable June 30, with a 0.6% annualized yield. Separately, analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $233.93.

Empire Life Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 16.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 252,338 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 36,329 shares during the period. Vistra makes up 2.3% of Empire Life Investments Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Empire Life Investments Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Vistra worth $40,710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Archer Investment Corp grew its holdings in Vistra by 2,700.0% during the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 140 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Pinpoint Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 74.8% in the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 215 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vistra from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 price target on Vistra in a report on Monday, April 27th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Vistra from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the company from $191.00 to $203.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $233.93.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vistra Trading Down 3.4%

NYSE VST opened at $146.90 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $157.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $165.72. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $138.53 and a 12 month high of $219.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a current ratio of 0.90 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $49.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.43.

Vistra (NYSE:VST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. The firm had revenue of $5.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd will be given a $0.229 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra's payout ratio is currently 15.24%.

About Vistra

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.