Franklin Resources Inc. Decreases Stock Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Franklin Resources Inc. lessened its stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,333,380 shares of the company's stock after selling 253,359 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.98% of Vistra worth $395,139,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $178.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $149.10.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra 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 directly owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST stock traded down $0.19 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $144.89. The stock had a trading volume of 4,016,382 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,782,373. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $37.38 and a fifty-two week high of $168.67. 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's 50-day simple moving average is $139.60 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.15. The firm has a market cap of $49.30 billion, a PE ratio of 27.04, a PEG ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.16.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed 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 is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.61%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.42%.

Vistra 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.