Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Lowered to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note published on Saturday morning.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Vaalco Energy in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Vaalco Energy Price Performance

Shares of Vaalco Energy stock opened at $3.65 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $380.02 million, a PE ratio of 13.50 and a beta of 0.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $3.60 and a 200 day moving average of $3.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. Vaalco Energy has a 12 month low of $3.00 and a 12 month high of $4.82.

Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The energy company reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.04) by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $61.01 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $74.30 million. Vaalco Energy had a return on equity of 1.02% and a net margin of 7.40%. On average, research analysts expect that Vaalco Energy will post 0.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vaalco Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.9%. Vaalco Energy’s payout ratio is 92.59%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vaalco Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EGY. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Vaalco Energy by 545.7% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 7,380 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 6,237 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 810.3% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 7,410 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 6,596 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vaalco Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vaalco Energy by 91.1% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,469 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 4,038 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Vaalco Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. 50.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vaalco Energy

Vaalco Energy, Inc is an independent energy company principally engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vaalco concentrates on offshore assets in West Africa, with a strategic emphasis on maintaining and optimizing cash-flow–generating properties. Founded in the mid-1980s, the company has built its reputation by focusing on high-impact drilling prospects and extending the productive life of its core fields through targeted infill wells and enhanced recovery techniques.

The company’s primary producing asset is the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon, where Vaalco holds a majority interest and serves as operator.