Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) Shares Sold by Hartford Investment Management Co.

Hartford Investment Management Co. cut its stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 3.0% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 21,055 shares of the company’s stock after selling 645 shares during the period. Hartford Investment Management Co.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $2,903,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vistra by 56.5% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Founders Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Vistra during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:VST opened at $166.51 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 1.11. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $42.34 and a 1 year high of $199.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.07, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.22. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $158.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.85.

Vistra declared that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 7th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total transaction of $18,878,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,849,637.12. This represents a 31.09 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $51,352,424.58. This represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. 1.42% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VST shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, January 27th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $178.00 target price for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.64.

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.