Freedom Investment Management Inc. Has $519,000 Position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Freedom Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 13.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,376 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 530 shares during the quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $519,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the second quarter worth $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its position in Vistra by 1,505.9% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new position in Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, ORG Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in Vistra in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. This trade represents 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 corporate insiders.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of VST opened at $159.84 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. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $132.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $101.77. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $34.89 and a 12 month high of $168.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.09.

Vistra announced that its board has approved a stock buyback 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VST has been the topic of several research reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target for the company. UBS Group cut their price target 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. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price objective for the company. Finally, 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. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $149.10.

Vistra Company 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.