Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Bought by Quantinno Capital Management LP

Quantinno Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 38.0% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 141,635 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 39,027 shares during the quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP’s holdings in Vistra were worth $21,292,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 92 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST stock opened at $148.49 on Friday. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $132.66 and a one year high of $219.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.90. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $156.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $158.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $50.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.87 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 11.52% and a return on equity of 105.64%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.39 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 15.41%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 53,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,109,918. The trade was a 0.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 70,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,021,380. This represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price target on Vistra and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Vistra from $230.00 to $222.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Zacks Research upgraded Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on Vistra in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $229.88.

Trending Headlines about Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $212 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Morgan Stanley Raises Vistra Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra declared a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.23 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 21. The roughly $75 million distribution provides ongoing shareholder support. Vistra Declares Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest in Vistra’s power-generation capacity could benefit from rising electricity demand associated with data centers, although regulatory limits in New York introduce uncertainty. Vistra Stock Looks Reasonable Following New York Data Center Limits
• Neutral Sentiment: Vistra is scheduled to report quarterly results next week. Analysts expect earnings growth, but the company reportedly lacks the combination of estimate revisions and other indicators that typically signal a likely earnings beat. Vistra Earnings Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Shares fell sharply following an analyst downgrade, which appears to be the main recent pressure on the stock. The downgrade offsets Morgan Stanley’s more bullish view and may encourage investors to reduce exposure before earnings. Vistra Shares Down After Analyst Downgrade

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.