Calamos Advisors LLC Sells 46,868 Shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)

Calamos Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) by 26.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,574 shares of the company’s stock after selling 46,868 shares during the quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC’s holdings in Vistra were worth $18,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VST. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Founders Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. West Branch Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vistra during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vistra during the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Vistra during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. 90.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vistra Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VST opened at $168.45 on Tuesday. 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 Corp. has a 52-week low of $42.22 and a 52-week high of $199.84. The company has a market cap of $57.31 billion, a PE ratio of 31.43, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.22. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $156.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $123.62.

Vistra (NYSE:VST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The company reported $5.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $4.01. Vistra had a return on equity of 57.63% and a net margin of 12.51%. The firm had revenue of $6.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.96 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Vistra Corp. will post 7 EPS for the current year.

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

Insider Transactions at Vistra

In related news, EVP Stephen J. Muscato sold 207,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.34, for a total transaction of $33,413,514.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 318,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $51,352,424.58. This trade represents a 39.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Scott A. Hudson sold 115,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.16, for a total value of $18,878,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 254,932 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $41,849,637.12. The trade was a 31.09 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 342,100 shares of company stock worth $55,087,314. Insiders own 1.42% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VST. BNP Paribas initiated coverage on shares of Vistra in a report on Monday, October 14th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $231.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Vistra in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $202.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Vistra in a research report on Monday, January 27th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $206.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim increased their price target on Vistra from $133.00 to $177.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Vistra from $151.00 to $191.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vistra has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $171.64.

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.