Westpac Banking Corp Reduces Stock Position in Vistra Corp. $VST

Westpac Banking Corp trimmed its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 69.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,777 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,098 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Vistra were worth $287,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VST. Payden & Rygel grew its position in shares of Vistra by 3,118.2% in the fourth quarter. Payden & Rygel now owns 35,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,711,000 after purchasing an additional 34,300 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $746,729,000. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,875,000. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Vistra by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,768,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $285,343,000 after purchasing an additional 192,274 shares during the period. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in Vistra by 34.4% in the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 188,921 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,479,000 after purchasing an additional 48,378 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $153.66 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $154.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.51. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $132.66 and a 12-month high of $219.82. The company has a market cap of $51.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.74 and a beta of 1.40.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued 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. Vistra had a return on equity of 105.64% and a net margin of 11.52%.The company had revenue of $5.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.22 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 9.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 22nd will be issued a $0.229 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 22nd. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.24%.

Key Stories Impacting Vistra

Here are the key news stories impacting Vistra this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vistra completed its acquisition of Cogentrix natural gas assets, expanding its generation footprint and strengthening its position in the power market. The company is also adding long-term nuclear supply contracts, including a new arrangement to serve Meta’s data center power needs. Vistra Reshapes Growth With Cogentrix Deal And AI Data Center Power
• Positive Sentiment: Vistra’s plan to restart the Perry nuclear plant could add more baseload capacity, which investors may view favorably given rising electricity demand from AI and data centers. Vistra Reshapes Growth With Cogentrix Deal And AI Data Center Power
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with Vistra reported to have an average recommendation of “Buy”, supporting the view that the company’s earnings and growth profile remain attractive. Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: One article noted Vistra underperformed peers on a relative basis despite daily gains, suggesting the stock may not have fully participated in the broader utility/energy move. Vistra Corp. stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors despite daily gains
• Negative Sentiment: Vistra CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares at $160.00, a routine insider sale that may create a small overhang for some investors even though the transaction size was limited. Vistra stock quote and recent filings

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, CAO Margaret Montemayor sold 4,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $736,000.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 9,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,561,600. This represents a 32.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephanie Zapata Moore sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.31, for a total transaction of $1,603,100.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 114,409 shares in the company, valued at $18,340,906.79. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 19,600 shares of company stock valued at $3,163,900 in the last ninety days. 0.92% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on VST. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $212.00 price target on shares of Vistra in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vistra from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $241.00 target price on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Vistra from $236.00 to $234.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Vistra from $253.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $233.33.

About Vistra

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.