Sapient Capital LLC Sells 107,215 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Sapient Capital LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 9.1% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,066,280 shares of the company’s stock after selling 107,215 shares during the period. Vistra accounts for approximately 2.8% of Sapient Capital LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Sapient Capital LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $147,008,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in Vistra by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new stake in Vistra in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra in the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VST shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Bank of America began coverage on Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted 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 assumed coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $171.64.

Vistra Stock Up 0.9 %

NYSE VST opened at $168.33 on Tuesday. 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 firm has a market cap of $57.27 billion, a PE ratio of 31.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.22. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $157.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.90. Vistra Corp. has a one year low of $42.22 and a one year high of $199.84.

Vistra announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 2.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, Director Scott B. Helm sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $139.77, for a total value of $2,795,400.00. Following the sale, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the business’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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $51,352,424.58. The trade was a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314 over the last 90 days. 1.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.