Stifel Financial Corp Sells 36,427 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Stifel Financial Corp decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 34.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 69,053 shares of the company's stock after selling 36,427 shares during the quarter. Stifel Financial Corp's holdings in Vistra were worth $8,186,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VST. Empire Life Investments Inc. bought a new position in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at about $23,028,000. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $842,000. Czech National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 12.4% in the third quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 69,987 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,296,000 after acquiring an additional 7,747 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Vistra by 12.4% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 50,380 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,972,000 after acquiring an additional 5,575 shares during the period. Finally, Viking Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $1,185,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the 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 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. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock valued at $55,087,314 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Trading Down 0.1 %

VST stock traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $144.94. 4,011,722 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,782,373. Vistra Corp. has a 52-week low of $37.38 and a 52-week high of $168.67. The stock's fifty day moving average is $139.60 and its 200-day moving average is $106.15. The company has a market cap of $49.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on VST shares. BNP Paribas began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $149.10.

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.