Royal Fund Management LLC Sells 19,332 Shares of Vistra Corp. $VST

Royal Fund Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 40.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,379 shares of the company’s stock after selling 19,332 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $4,266,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $746,729,000. Capital World Investors bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth $574,499,000. Rubric Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $322,660,000. Amundi raised its holdings in Vistra by 72.3% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 1,949,568 shares of the company’s stock valued at $314,524,000 after acquiring an additional 817,876 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 585.0% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 907,611 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,425,000 after acquiring an additional 775,104 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared: Vistra’s board approved a quarterly common-stock dividend of $0.23 per share, representing an estimated aggregate payment of approximately $75 million. The dividend provides ongoing shareholder income and signals continued confidence in cash generation. Vistra Declares Dividend on Common Stock and Series A Preferred Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive analyst views: Morgan Stanley raised its price target from $208 to $212 and maintained an “overweight” rating. Goldman Sachs also issued a “buy” rating, supporting the case for substantial long-term upside. Morgan Stanley price-target update Vistra Corp Receives a Buy from Goldman Sachs
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable fundamentals and earnings expectations: Recent coverage highlighted Vistra’s stronger return on equity, margins, earnings momentum and market-share gains compared with NRG Energy. Zacks also included VST among utilities expected to outperform second-quarter earnings estimates. VST or NRG: Which Utility Stock Has Greater Upside Potential?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity increased: Traders purchased 39,705 call options, roughly 30% above typical volume. This indicates heightened bullish speculation but does not guarantee sustained buying in the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen reduced its price target: The firm cut its target from $230 to $222 while retaining a buy rating. Although the revised target remains well above recent trading levels, the downgrade in valuation expectations pressured the stock and was associated with a recent decline of roughly 3.8%. Vistra Trading Down Following Analyst Downgrade

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 9,760 shares in the company, valued at $1,561,600. The trade was a 32.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 244 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.00, for a total transaction of $37,332.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 53,006 shares in the company, valued at $8,109,918. This trade represents a 0.46% decrease in their position. 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 90 days, insiders sold 41,588 shares of company stock valued at $6,739,227. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently commented on VST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Vistra from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $187.00 price objective on shares of Vistra and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 16th. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, June 15th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $208.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $229.88.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock opened at $142.79 on Thursday. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. The stock has a market cap of $48.15 billion, a PE ratio of 23.92 and a beta of 1.40. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $156.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $158.25.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.32 by $1.55. The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.22 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%. As a group, analysts expect that Vistra Corp. will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s payout ratio is currently 15.41%.

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.