Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Trims Stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board decreased its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 664,267 shares of the company’s stock after selling 33,700 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s holdings in Vistra were worth $91,582,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VST. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at $409,087,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Vistra by 63.6% during the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,260,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $863,116,000 after acquiring an additional 2,433,732 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $237,441,000. Appaloosa LP grew its holdings in Vistra by 112.5% in the fourth quarter. Appaloosa LP now owns 2,700,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $372,249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,429,612 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP increased its position in Vistra by 58.9% during the fourth quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 1,773,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $244,512,000 after purchasing an additional 657,217 shares during the last quarter. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of VST stock opened at $115.26 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $39.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $128.85 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $64.26 and a 1-year high of $199.84.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th were paid a dividend of $0.2235 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.78%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on VST shares. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Vistra from $174.00 to $154.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Vistra from $203.00 to $186.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 28th. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets assumed coverage on Vistra in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $159.69.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.