Sanctuary Advisors LLC Raises Stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 133,268 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 4,031 shares during the quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC's holdings in Vistra were worth $18,374,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Down 7.8 %

NYSE VST traded down $12.67 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $150.51. The company's stock had a trading volume of 9,944,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,996,157. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $160.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $131.92. Vistra Corp. has a twelve month low of $46.18 and a twelve month high of $199.84. 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 market capitalization of $51.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.08, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 20th will be given a $0.2235 dividend. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.59%. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.60%.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on VST. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $206.00 price objective for the company. 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 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $171.64.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by 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.