Vale (NYSE:VALE) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Vale (NYSE:VALE) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

VALE has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Vale in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Vale from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Vale from $13.80 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a “cautious” rating and issued a $15.50 price target on shares of Vale in a report on Monday, February 16th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Vale from $12.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.18.

Vale Stock Performance

VALE stock opened at $15.03 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.95 and a 200 day simple moving average of $13.52. The company has a market capitalization of $68.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.83 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. Vale has a fifty-two week low of $8.06 and a fifty-two week high of $17.72.

Vale (NYSE:VALE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 13th. The basic materials company reported ($0.90) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($1.42). Vale had a net margin of 6.12% and a return on equity of 20.16%. The company had revenue of $11.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.86 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that Vale will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vale

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Vale during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna raised its stake in shares of Vale by 128.3% in the 4th quarter. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna now owns 2,055 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,155 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Vale by 60.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,030 shares during the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Vale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Vale during the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 21.85% of the company’s stock.

Vale Company 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.