Ascent Group LLC Increases Stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 308.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,736 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,129 shares during the quarter. Ascent Group LLC's holdings in Vistra were worth $1,747,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter valued at $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the third quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the period. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on VST shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price 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. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VST traded up $1.02 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $155.13. The stock had a trading volume of 1,653,476 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,833,650. The firm has a market cap of $52.78 billion, a PE ratio of 28.82, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.16. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $134.36 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.80. Vistra Corp. has a twelve month low of $35.99 and a twelve month high of $168.67.

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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.57%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is currently 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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 corporate insiders.

Vistra Company 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.