Sapient Capital LLC Sells 6,371 Shares of Vistra Corp. $VST

Sapient Capital LLC reduced its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 681,591 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,371 shares during the quarter. Vistra makes up approximately 1.3% of Sapient Capital LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Sapient Capital LLC owned 0.20% of Vistra worth $94,298,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the second quarter valued at approximately $4,610,496,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Vistra by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 16,850,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,672,987,000 after buying an additional 79,972 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Vistra by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,436,880 shares of the company’s stock valued at $516,616,000 after buying an additional 32,982 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth $468,354,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth $381,938,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Vistra from $212.00 to $227.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $181.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 1st. BNP Paribas Exane set a $255.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Vistra from $233.00 to $227.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $217.61.

Vistra Stock Down 6.2%

NYSE:VST traded down $10.36 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $156.36. 11,292,595 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,093,885. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $143.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $151.04. Vistra Corp. has a fifty-two week low of $132.66 and a fifty-two week high of $217.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87. The company has a market capitalization of $52.48 billion, a PE ratio of 26.41 and a beta of 1.38.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.61 by ($0.85). The firm had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.46 billion. Vistra had a return on equity of 108.68% and a net margin of 11.55%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 21st were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 21st. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.2290. Vistra’s payout ratio is 15.54%.

Vistra News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The U.S. Department of Energy announced a conditional loan commitment of up to $4.2 billion to support Vistra’s nuclear expansion and extend the operating lives of plants in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The funding could reduce financing needs and enhance the long-term value of the company’s nuclear fleet. U.S. loaning $4.2 billion to energy firm
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to view Vistra as a potential beneficiary of growing electricity demand from AI data centers. Long-term agreements with large customers and increasing interest from hyperscalers in dependable nuclear generation could improve future revenue visibility and cash flow. Vistra stock rallies on nuclear investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and price targets above the current trading level, although BMO recently reduced its target. Investors are also comparing Vistra with Talen Energy to determine which company can convert AI-related power demand into shareholder cash flow after capital spending, interest costs and debt service. Analysts offer insights on Vistra
• Negative Sentiment: The latest decline followed an earlier sharp rally tied to the DOE announcement, suggesting investors may be locking in gains. Vistra also trades at a relatively elevated valuation while carrying substantial leverage, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.87.
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Scott Hudson sold 22,222 shares worth approximately $3.56 million under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. The scheduled nature of the sale reduces its significance, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. Vistra insider share sale
• Negative Sentiment: Fundamental concerns remain after Vistra’s latest reported quarter missed analyst expectations on both EPS and revenue, leaving investors focused on whether nuclear expansion can translate into stronger earnings and free cash flow.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In related news, CEO James Burke purchased 4,465 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $603,891.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,146,352 shares in the company, valued at $155,044,108. This represents a 0.39% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 44,444 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.82, for a total value of $6,747,488.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 331,137 shares in the company, valued at $50,273,219.34. This trade represents a 11.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

About Vistra

Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) is an integrated energy company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company operates electricity generation facilities and provides electricity and related energy services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its portfolio includes natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage assets.

Vistra also operates a retail electricity business that offers power plans, renewable energy options, and energy-management services. Its retail brands include TXU Energy, Homefield Energy, Dynegy, and Ambit Energy, serving customers in competitive electricity markets across the United States.