Vistra Corp. $VST Stock Sold by Sapient Capital LLC

Sapient Capital LLC lessened its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 681,591 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,371 shares during the period. Vistra makes up 1.3% of Sapient Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest holding. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $94,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Premier Financial Group acquired a new stake in Vistra in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 141.2% during the 1st quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 246 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 46.6% in the 1st quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 302 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to support Vistra’s nuclear expansion and extend the operating lives of plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The funding could reduce financing needs and enhance the long-term value of the company’s nuclear fleet. U.S. loaning $4.2 billion to energy firm
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to view Vistra as a potential beneficiary of growing electricity demand from AI data centers. Long-term agreements with large customers and increasing interest from hyperscalers in dependable nuclear generation could improve future revenue visibility and cash flow. Vistra stock rallies on nuclear investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and price targets above the current trading level, although BMO recently reduced its target. Investors are also comparing Vistra with Talen Energy to determine which company can convert AI-related power demand into shareholder cash flow after capital spending, interest costs and debt service. Analysts offer insights on Vistra
• Negative Sentiment: The latest decline followed an earlier sharp rally tied to the DOE announcement, suggesting investors may be locking in gains. Vistra also trades at a relatively elevated valuation while carrying substantial leverage, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Scott Hudson sold 22,222 shares worth approximately $3.56 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The scheduled nature of the sale reduces its significance, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. Vistra insider share sale
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental concerns remain after Vistra’s latest reported quarter missed analyst expectations on both EPS and revenue, leaving investors focused on whether nuclear expansion can translate into stronger earnings and free cash flow.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VST traded down $10.36 on Thursday, hitting $156.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,292,595 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,093,885. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $143.51 and a 200-day moving average of $151.04. The company has a market capitalization of $52.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.41 and a beta of 1.38. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $217.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.85). Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%.The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.04 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.54%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vistra news, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at $155,044,108. This trade represents a 0.39% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 22,222 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.14, for a total value of $3,558,631.08. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 308,915 shares in the company, valued at $49,469,648.10. This trade represents a 6.71% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 price objective on Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, August 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $169.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “overweight” rating and set a $212.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vistra from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $217.61.

Vistra Profile

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.