Russell Investments Group Ltd. Raises Stock Holdings in Vistra Corp. $VST

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 17.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 415,030 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 61,496 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.12% of Vistra worth $81,340,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. grew its position in Vistra by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 1,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 7.1% during the third quarter. Y.D. More Investments Ltd now owns 916 shares of the company’s stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.0% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 3,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $642,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Effects LLC increased its position in Vistra by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Wealth Effects LLC now owns 5,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,133,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Guardian Asset Advisors LLC increased its position in Vistra by 3.0% in the 3rd quarter. Guardian Asset Advisors LLC now owns 2,281 shares of the company’s stock valued at $447,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $163.89 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $163.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $179.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.01. The stock has a market cap of $55.53 billion, a PE ratio of 75.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.42. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $90.51 and a fifty-two week high of $219.82.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $2.18 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.45 by ($0.27). Vistra had a net margin of 5.32% and a return on equity of 81.09%. The company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.75 billion. Analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.228 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 20th. This represents a $0.91 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.94%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VST. UBS Group boosted their target price on Vistra from $230.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, November 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $217.00 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of Vistra from $287.00 to $293.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $215.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $249.00 to $233.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $236.40.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, CEO James A. Burke sold 22,251 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.05, for a total value of $3,605,774.55. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 297,998 shares in the company, valued at $48,290,575.90. This represents a 6.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.