Wedge Capital Management L L P NC Sells 81,913 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Wedge Capital Management L L P NC trimmed its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST - Free Report) by 48.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 86,253 shares of the company's stock after selling 81,913 shares during the quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC's holdings in Vistra were worth $11,892,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,296,000. Retireful LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $2,212,000. Steph & Co. grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 8.5% in the fourth quarter. Steph & Co. now owns 1,727 shares of the company's stock worth $238,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $756,000. Finally, CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth $10,867,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company's stock.

Vistra Stock Down 1.7 %

Shares of NYSE:VST traded down $2.90 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $171.10. The company's stock had a trading volume of 8,254,135 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,420,974. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $151.89 and a 200-day moving average of $117.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.92, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.21. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $39.08 and a 12-month high of $178.40.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th were paid a dividend of $0.221 per share. This is an increase from Vistra's previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. Vistra's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.60%.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Guggenheim raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $231.00 price target on the stock. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.50.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 343,350 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $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. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Insiders own 1.42% of the company's stock.

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.