Principal Financial Group Inc. Raises Stock Position in Vale S.A. $VALE

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) by 225.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 355,207 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 246,032 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Vale were worth $3,858,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in VALE. Carrera Capital Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Vale during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $141,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans purchased a new stake in Vale in the third quarter valued at $5,713,000. Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in shares of Vale in the 3rd quarter valued at $3,126,000. one8zero8 LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vale by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. one8zero8 LLC now owns 40,000 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $434,000 after purchasing an additional 8,000 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Vale by 85.1% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 349,024 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,790,000 after purchasing an additional 160,417 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 21.85% of the company’s stock.

Vale News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vale this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management emphasized resilient cash generation in its 2025 results, which helps support liquidity and dividend/provision flexibility despite earnings pressure. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Vale published a February 2026 governance report detailing intensified 2025 audit and risk‑oversight activities — a move that can reassure investors about governance and controls after recent legacy issues. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s fiscal council has reviewed and backed the 2025 financial statements and proposed profit allocation ahead of the AGM — a routine governance step but important for near‑term shareholder decisions. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage is mixed: Zacks has published pieces highlighting VALE’s long‑term momentum and investor attention, while summary pieces note the recent dip versus the broader market — useful context but not new company-specific catalysts. Read More. • Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Big quarterly miss: Vale reported EPS of ($0.98) vs. consensus $0.52, a materially negative surprise that likely drove immediate selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Full‑year 2025 profit fell sharply due to asset impairments and legacy dam‑related costs — a structural headwind to near‑term profitability and valuation. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed FY2025/FY2026 EPS estimates slightly and retains a “Sector Perform” rating with a $16.50 target, signaling limited near‑term upside from this important sell‑side voice. Read More.

Vale Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of VALE stock opened at $16.64 on Monday. Vale S.A. has a fifty-two week low of $8.06 and a fifty-two week high of $17.72. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $14.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.24.

Vale (NYSE:VALE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported ($0.98) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($1.50). Vale had a net margin of 14.69% and a return on equity of 18.60%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Vale S.A. will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Vale Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 14th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were paid a dividend of $0.2331 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. Vale’s payout ratio is presently 67.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on VALE. Jefferies Financial Group set a $15.00 target price on shares of Vale and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Vale from $14.50 to $15.50 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vale from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Vale from $13.80 to $18.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Vale in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $13.85.

Vale Profile

Vale SA is a Brazilian multinational mining company and one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore and iron ore pellets. In addition to iron ore, the company produces and sells a range of bulk commodities and metals, including nickel, copper, coal, manganese, ferroalloys and cobalt, and it participates in the fertilizer inputs market. Vale also operates extensive logistics assets — including rail, port and maritime logistics — that support its mining and export activities and provide services to third parties in some regions.

Headquartered in Brazil, Vale maintains a global operational footprint with mining, processing and shipping activities across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.