Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. Boosts Stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its position in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 131.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 824 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 468 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA bought a new stake in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Trading Down 0.9 %

VST opened at $130.75 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $151.74 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.08. The company has a market capitalization of $44.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.39, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21. Vistra Corp. has a 52 week low of $64.26 and a 52 week high of $199.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.2235 per share. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on VST shares. Daiwa America raised Vistra to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective 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 boosted their price objective on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on Vistra in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 price objective on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.83.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total transaction of $2,997,449.84. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 51,063 shares in the company, valued at $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by company 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.