Vistra Corp. $VST Shares Sold by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lowered its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 23.0% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,449,824 shares of the company’s stock after selling 733,769 shares during the quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s holdings in Vistra were worth $388,616,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director John R. Sult sold 6,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $1,105,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 70,714 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,021,380. This represents a 8.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Scott B. Helm sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total transaction of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 232,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,152,000. This trade represents a 9.72% 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. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,588 shares of company stock valued at $5,914,427. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vistra Stock Up 2.5%

NYSE:VST opened at $139.09 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.68 billion, a PE ratio of 23.50 and a beta of 1.41. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $152.99 and a 200-day moving average of $155.70. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $132.66 and a 52 week high of $219.82. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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). The company had revenue of $4.02 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. Analysts predict that Vistra Corp. will post 9.21 EPS for the current year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st will be given a $0.23 dividend. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is 15.54%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Vistra from $293.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $212.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, August 10th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $206.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $223.53.

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.