Quantinno Capital Management LP Acquires 5,558 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 31.7% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 23,074 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 5,558 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP’s holdings in Vistra were worth $2,735,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VST. Simplicity Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Vistra by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 3,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $334,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 351.2% in the 2nd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 51,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,413,000 after purchasing an additional 39,951 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 65.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,973 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,000 after purchasing an additional 1,965 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $227,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth about $197,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value of $33,413,514.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Down 7.3 %

NYSE VST opened at $148.38 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.16. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $36.47 and a 52 week high of $168.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $138.42 and a 200-day moving average of $105.01.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.60%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.42%.

Vistra Company 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.