Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Takes $1.49 Million Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 7,619 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,493,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the third quarter worth about $25,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the second quarter worth about $28,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, City State Bank raised its position in Vistra by 210.0% during the second quarter. City State Bank now owns 155 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of VST opened at $160.08 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $167.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $186.84. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $54.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.79, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.41. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $90.51 and a 12-month high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 7th. The company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.78 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $4.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.60 billion. Vistra had a net margin of 6.70% and a return on equity of 64.04%. Equities research analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 22nd were issued a $0.227 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 22nd. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.85%.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other news, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 8,219 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.35, for a total transaction of $1,424,763.65. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 79,854 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,842,690.90. This represents a 9.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total value of $10,183,556.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 218,239 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,137,265.25. This represents a 21.07% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 196,794 shares of company stock worth $34,784,876 in the last ninety days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VST. Bank of America dropped their target price on Vistra from $231.00 to $218.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley set a $227.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, December 29th. KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Vistra currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $239.20.

About Vistra

Vistra (NYSE: VST) is an integrated power company that develops, owns and operates electricity generation and retail businesses in the United States. The company’s operations span wholesale power production—through a diversified fleet of thermal and lower‑carbon generation assets—and retail electricity supply to residential, commercial and industrial customers. Vistra serves organized wholesale markets and competitive retail markets, with a notable presence in Texas and other regional U.S. power markets.

Vistra’s core activities include the ownership and operation of generation facilities, the commercial dispatch and optimization of those assets into wholesale markets, and the sale of electricity and related services to end-use customers through its retail brands.