Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Acquired by Bridgewater Associates LP

Bridgewater Associates LP increased its stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 58.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,773,499 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 657,217 shares during the quarter. Vistra makes up 1.1% of Bridgewater Associates LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest holding. Bridgewater Associates LP owned about 0.52% of Vistra worth $244,512,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VST. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in Vistra by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Peregrine Asset Advisers Inc. now owns 2,064 shares of the company's stock valued at $285,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position 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 buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC raised its holdings in Vistra by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC now owns 2,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $286,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Csenge Advisory Group boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Csenge Advisory Group now owns 5,096 shares of the company's stock worth $703,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New Century Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Vistra by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. New Century Financial Group LLC now owns 2,760 shares of the company's stock worth $381,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Price Performance

VST stock traded down $0.61 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $115.26. 4,836,332 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,892,088. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $141.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $64.26 and a 1-year high of $199.84. The company has a market cap of $39.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.50, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were given a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.78%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,341,513.97. The trade was a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John William Pitesa bought 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on VST shares. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 28th. Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $159.69.

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.