Empire Life Investments Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Empire Life Investments Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 195,947 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,681 shares during the quarter. Vistra makes up approximately 1.7% of Empire Life Investments Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Empire Life Investments Inc. owned 0.06% of Vistra worth $27,015,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $206.00 price objective on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group boosted their target price on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an "outperform" rating and a $202.00 target price for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $171.64.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the business'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 transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vistra Price Performance

Vistra stock traded up $1.55 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $169.21. 5,957,357 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,102,639. The stock's fifty day moving average is $159.26 and its 200-day moving average is $130.88. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $45.52 and a 12 month high of $199.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The stock has a market cap of $57.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.57, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

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.