Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Bought by Penserra Capital Management LLC

Penserra Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 17,610.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,313 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,283 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $629,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Empire Life Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the third quarter valued at $23,028,000. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at about $842,000. Czech National Bank raised its position in Vistra by 12.4% during the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 69,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,296,000 after acquiring an additional 7,747 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 12.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 50,380 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,972,000 after purchasing an additional 5,575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Viking Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,185,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reduced their target price on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST stock opened at $154.54 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $52.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.09. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $34.88 and a one year high of $168.67. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $129.97 and a 200 day moving average price of $101.03.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.42%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.