Avala Global LP Purchases Shares of 326,100 Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Avala Global LP purchased a new stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 326,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $38,656,000. Vistra accounts for about 2.5% of Avala Global LP’s holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VST. Redwood Wealth Management Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 1,505.9% in the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 273 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vistra in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Stock Performance

Vistra stock opened at $159.84 on Monday. 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 $34.89 and a 1 year high of $168.67. The company has a market cap of $54.38 billion, a PE ratio of 29.82, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s 50-day moving average is $133.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $102.33.

Vistra Increases Dividend

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

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VST. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $99.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped 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, November 22nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $149.10.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vistra

In other news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total value 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. Corporate 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.