Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Flputnam Investment Management Co.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 37.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,808 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,105 shares during the quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $1,080,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of VST. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Vistra during the second quarter worth approximately $4,610,496,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $746,729,000. Capital World Investors acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $574,499,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $468,354,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter valued at $381,938,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $212.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, August 10th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, June 15th. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price target on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price target on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Mizuho started coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $169.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vistra currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.53.

Vistra Price Performance

VST opened at $137.45 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. Vistra Corp. has a 52-week low of $132.66 and a 52-week high of $219.82. The company has a 50 day moving average of $151.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $155.34. The company has a market cap of $46.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.22 and a beta of 1.41.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a net margin of 11.55% and a return on equity of 108.68%. The business had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.46 billion. On average, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be issued a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 15.54%.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $1,105,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 70,714 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,021,380. This trade represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 31,988 shares of company stock worth $5,178,427. Corporate insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Profile

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.