Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Sold by Bank of New York Mellon Corp

Bank of New York Mellon Corp cut its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 20.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,495,075 shares of the company’s stock after selling 640,345 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.73% of Vistra worth $343,996,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC increased its stake in Vistra by 616.0% during the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in shares of Vistra during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. 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 target for the company. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.64.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock opened at $147.84 on Thursday. 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 12 month low of $48.22 and a 12 month high of $199.84. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $160.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $133.70. The company has a market cap of $50.30 billion, a PE ratio of 27.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.22.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $0.2235 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. Vistra’s payout ratio is 16.42%.

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

Insider Activity at Vistra

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 343,350 shares in the company, valued at $47,990,029.50. This represents a 5.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

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.