Ascent Group LLC Acquires 11,129 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Ascent Group LLC increased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 308.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,736 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,129 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $1,747,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vistra in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC lifted its stake in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price objective on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $154.16 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $52.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.16. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $133.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $102.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. Vistra Corp. has a 1-year low of $35.99 and a 1-year high of $168.67.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be issued a $0.221 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.42%.

Vistra declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Vistra

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 254,932 shares in the company, valued at $41,849,637.12. This trade represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % 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.

About Vistra

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.