Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Sells 825,012 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 27.8% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,141,025 shares of the company’s stock after selling 825,012 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Vistra were worth $253,797,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in Vistra by 115.3% during the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,532,657 shares of the company’s stock worth $217,758,000 after buying an additional 1,356,488 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of Vistra by 1,358.2% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,228,144 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,596,000 after acquiring an additional 1,143,918 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP grew its holdings in shares of Vistra by 315.9% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,175,811 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,096,000 after purchasing an additional 893,093 shares in the last quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. increased its position in shares of Vistra by 100.5% during the first quarter. Maple Rock Capital Partners Inc. now owns 1,720,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $119,798,000 after purchasing an additional 862,000 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its position in shares of Vistra by 121.1% during the second quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 1,536,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $132,082,000 after purchasing an additional 841,292 shares during the period. 90.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VST has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Vistra from $105.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Vistra from $135.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. BNP Paribas started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research note on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 price target for the company. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Vistra from $157.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Vistra from $146.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $149.10.

Vistra Stock Performance

NYSE:VST opened at $161.93 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $55.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.68. Vistra Corp. has a 1 year low of $34.61 and a 1 year high of $168.67. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $125.72 and a 200-day moving average of $99.36.

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

Vistra Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 20th will be given a $0.221 dividend. This is an increase from Vistra’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 20th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.55%. Vistra’s payout ratio is presently 16.42%.

Vistra 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.