Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd

Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd decreased its position in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 48,513 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,814 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in Vistra were worth $9,505,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 24.1% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,371,000 after acquiring an additional 3,920 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in Vistra by 40.7% in the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 28,744 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,376,000 after purchasing an additional 8,312 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position in Vistra by 37.3% in 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 during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth $269,000. Finally, Wealthspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth $220,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Down 12.6%

VST stock opened at $146.23 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $163.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.38. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $90.51 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The company has a market cap of $49.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.42.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.45 by ($0.27). The company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.75 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 81.09%. On average, research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, December 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.87.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,340,906.79. This trade represents a 8.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Company Profile

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.