WINTON GROUP Ltd Makes New Investment in Vistra Corp. $VST

Key Points

• WINTON GROUP Ltd initiated a new position in Vistra, purchasing 10,507 shares in Q3 worth approximately $2.06 million.
• Vistra recently missed quarterly expectations, reporting $2.18 EPS vs. $2.45 expected and $4.58B in revenue vs. $5.75B expected, yet analysts remain largely bullish with a consensus target of $236.40.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.228 (annualized $0.91, ~0.6% yield) while CEO James Burke sold 22,251 shares; institutional investors now own about 90.88% of the stock.

WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 10,507 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,059,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,371,000 after buying an additional 3,920 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in Vistra by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company's stock worth $3,376,000 after acquiring an additional 8,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth increased its holdings in Vistra by 37.3% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company's stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $269,000. Finally, Savant Capital LLC raised its position in Vistra by 18.9% in the 2nd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 6,286 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,218,000 after purchasing an additional 998 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of VST opened at $164.38 on Wednesday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $163.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $178.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.70 billion, a PE ratio of 75.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.42. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $90.51 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be paid a $0.228 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra's payout ratio is 41.94%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total transaction of $3,605,774.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on VST. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, November 24th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $217.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of 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. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $241.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $236.40.

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.

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