Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $16.6538.

VALE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Scotiabank increased their target price on Vale from $16.50 to $18.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered Vale from an “outperform” rating to a “sector perform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $14.50 to $15.50 in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Bank of America raised Vale from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $18.00 to $19.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Vale from $18.50 to $19.50 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd.

Vale Trading Down 1.3%

Shares of VALE opened at $14.95 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Vale has a 12-month low of $8.97 and a 12-month high of $17.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.84 billion, a PE ratio of 22.31 and a beta of 0.46. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.35.

Vale (NYSE:VALE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.08). Vale had a net margin of 7.21% and a return on equity of 21.10%. The firm had revenue of $9.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.53 billion. As a group, research analysts predict that Vale will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Sobrinho Sami Arap bought 12,990 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $16.11 per share, with a total value of $209,268.90. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president owned 12,990 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $209,268.90. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Parenti Grazielle Tallia purchased 10,464 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.11 per share, for a total transaction of $168,575.04. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $168,575.04. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vale

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vale during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna raised its position in shares of Vale by 128.3% during the fourth quarter. Investors Towarzystwo Funduszy Inwestycyjnych Spolka Akcyjna now owns 2,055 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,155 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vale during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vale by 60.0% during the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vale by 15,360.0% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 3,092 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 3,072 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 21.85% of the company’s stock.

About Vale

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.