Vontobel Holding Ltd. Grows Stock Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 46.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,251 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,667 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd.'s holdings in Vistra were worth $724,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Activity

In other Vistra news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company's stock, valued at $47,990,029.50. The trade was a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

Vistra Price Performance

VST traded down $12.67 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $150.51. The stock had a trading volume of 9,944,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,293,202. The company has a market cap of $51.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22. The business has a fifty day moving average of $160.19 and a 200 day moving average of $131.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $46.18 and a 1 year high of $199.84.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This represents a $0.89 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.59%. This is a positive change from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra's dividend payout ratio is 16.60%.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.