Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Sunday.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Loop Capital set a $7.30 target price on shares of Vaalco Energy in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vaalco Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vaalco Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of Vaalco Energy stock opened at $4.56 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.79. The stock has a market cap of $474.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.87 and a beta of 0.22. Vaalco Energy has a 12-month low of $3.00 and a 12-month high of $4.69.

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

Vaalco Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. Vaalco Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 92.59%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Vaalco Energy by 545.7% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 7,380 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 6,237 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 810.3% in 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 in the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in Vaalco Energy during the second quarter worth $29,000. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Vaalco Energy by 91.1% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,469 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 4,038 shares during the period. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in Vaalco Energy in the third quarter worth $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.