Westwood Holdings Group Inc. Raises Stake in Vistra Corp. $VST

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 19.0% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 23,254 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,708 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $4,507,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Banque Transatlantique SA raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 132.0% in the 1st quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA now owns 232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Anfield Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vistra in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. City State Bank raised its position in Vistra by 210.0% in 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. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the first quarter worth about $37,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST opened at $168.36 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $57.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.78, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.74. The business’s 50 day moving average is $184.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $190.22. Vistra Corp. has a 52-week low of $90.51 and a 52-week high of $219.82.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 22nd will be paid a $0.227 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 22nd. This represents a $0.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.49%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Vistra from $227.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. TD Cowen started coverage on Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $250.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $236.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Daiwa America raised shares of Vistra from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets raised shares of Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $250.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $233.20.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other Vistra news, EVP Carrie Lee Kirby sold 58,275 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $10,183,556.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 218,239 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $38,137,265.25. This trade represents a 21.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 56,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $168.86, for a total value of $9,456,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 306,600 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,772,476. The trade was a 15.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 763,830 shares of company stock valued at $150,539,816. 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.