Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Sold by Mizuho Securities USA LLC

Mizuho Securities USA LLC lowered its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 22,278 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,908 shares during the quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $2,641,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Vistra by 115.3% during the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,532,657 shares of the company’s stock worth $217,758,000 after purchasing an additional 1,356,488 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 1,358.2% during the second quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,228,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,596,000 after buying an additional 1,143,918 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in shares of Vistra by 315.9% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,175,811 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,096,000 after buying an additional 893,093 shares during the period. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 100.5% during the first quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,720,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,798,000 after buying an additional 862,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Vistra by 121.1% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,536,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,082,000 after acquiring an additional 841,292 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $161.93 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 0.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.21, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.09. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.72 and its 200-day simple moving average is $99.36. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $34.61 and a 12 month high of $168.67.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a dividend of $0.221 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This is a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.10.

Vistra Profile

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.