Vistra Corp. $VST Stake Lowered by Jennison Associates LLC

Jennison Associates LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 1.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,685,989 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,737 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $330,319,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Vistra by 24.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 20,190 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,371,000 after buying an additional 3,920 shares during the period. Woodline Partners LP lifted 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 grew its position in Vistra by 37.3% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 7,828 shares of the company’s stock worth $920,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $269,000. Finally, Norden Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter valued at approximately $279,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Down 0.2%

VST opened at $160.08 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $54.24 billion, a PE ratio of 57.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.41. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $167.47 and its 200-day moving average is $186.84. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $90.51 and a one year high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.78 by ($0.03). Vistra had a return on equity of 64.04% and a net margin of 6.70%.The business had revenue of $4.97 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.60 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 22nd were given a $0.227 dividend. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. The trade was a 6.95% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total value of $10,183,556.25. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at $38,137,265.25. This trade represents a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 196,794 shares of company stock worth $34,784,876 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $227.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group raised their price target on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Vistra from $238.00 to $236.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $239.20.

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.