Norges Bank Makes New Investment in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 2,967,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $409,087,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Vistra by 56.5% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vistra by 616.0% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 179 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares during the period. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Comprehensive Financial Planning Inc. PA acquired a new stake in Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.88% of the company’s stock.

Vistra Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE VST opened at $119.05 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $147.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $140.40. Vistra Corp. has a 12 month low of $64.26 and a 12 month high of $199.84. 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 company has a market capitalization of $40.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.21.

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 a positive change from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th. This represents a $0.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. Vistra’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.62%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group upped their price objective on Vistra from $161.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $164.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Daiwa Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $120.00 target price on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $163.50.

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In other news, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were 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 approximately $6,341,513.97. This trade represents a 32.10 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John William Pitesa purchased 1,500 shares of Vistra stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $126.75 per share, with a total value of $190,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,467 shares in the company, valued at $439,442.25. The trade was a 76.26 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 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.