Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Sold by New York Life Investment Management LLC

New York Life Investment Management LLC decreased its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 0.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 45,702 shares of the company’s stock after selling 245 shares during the period. New York Life Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $6,301,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vistra by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 377,238 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,010,000 after acquiring an additional 8,933 shares during the period. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 52.4% in the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 49,522 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,828,000 after acquiring an additional 17,025 shares in the last quarter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,805,000. Finally, Lake Street Advisors Group LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $205,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other Vistra news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total transaction of $2,795,400.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This trade represents a 5.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VST opened at $133.85 on Friday. 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 $53.02 and a 1 year high of $199.84. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $160.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $133.67. The firm has a market cap of $45.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.97, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Bank of America began coverage on Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $171.64.

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.