The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Sells 4,503 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company reduced its position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 224,066 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,503 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned 0.07% of Vistra worth $30,892,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Up 4.3 %

NYSE VST traded up $5.99 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $145.99. 8,082,853 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,909,988. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $120.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. Vistra Corp. has a 52-week low of $66.50 and a 52-week high of $199.84. The firm has a market cap of $49.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.25, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.225 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.62%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 18th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $134.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $166.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by 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.