DnB Asset Management AS Raises Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

DnB Asset Management AS lifted its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 85,612 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,282 shares during the quarter. DnB Asset Management AS's holdings in Vistra were worth $11,803,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Vistra from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vistra presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $163.50.

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Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value of $2,997,449.84. Following the transaction, the director now owns 51,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. This represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This represents a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VST traded down $1.52 on Monday, hitting $117.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 7,762,744 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,723,565. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $64.26 and a 1 year high of $199.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The company has a market capitalization of $39.98 billion, a PE ratio of 21.93, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $140.83.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. Vistra's payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

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.