CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp Buys Shares of 78,819 Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp acquired a new position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 78,819 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,867,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the third quarter worth $36,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Up 2.8 %

NYSE:VST traded up $4.72 on Thursday, hitting $173.89. 5,765,868 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,189,390. The company has a market cap of $59.16 billion, a PE ratio of 32.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.21. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $39.08 and a 1 year high of $178.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $151.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $116.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were paid a $0.221 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is currently 16.60%.

Vistra announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on VST. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $151.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was 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 $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 in the last quarter. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Vistra

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.