Encompass Capital Advisors LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Encompass Capital Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 22.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 476,121 shares of the company’s stock after selling 137,851 shares during the quarter. Vistra accounts for approximately 2.5% of Encompass Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Encompass Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.14% of Vistra worth $65,643,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Engle Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth about $9,155,000. Ethic Inc. bought a new position in Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at $1,454,000. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Vistra by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 734,498 shares of the company’s stock valued at $101,265,000 after buying an additional 6,409 shares in the last quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter valued at about $66,257,000. Finally, FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra in the 4th quarter worth approximately $92,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vistra Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:VST opened at $140.87 on Friday. Vistra Corp. has a 12-month low of $66.50 and a 12-month 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. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.16. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $121.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.12.

Vistra Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 18th will be paid a $0.225 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 18th. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. Vistra’s payout ratio is 12.77%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vistra news, Director John William Pitesa acquired 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $126.75 per share, for a total transaction of $190,125.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 3,467 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $439,442.25. This trade represents a 76.26 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Paul M. Barbas sold 24,136 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.19, for a total value 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 represents a 32.10 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of several research reports. Bank of America raised Vistra from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $164.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group upped their target price on Vistra from $154.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price target on the stock. Daiwa America upgraded shares of Vistra to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $166.67.

Vistra Company Profile

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.