VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC) Shares Purchased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in shares of VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) by 121.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 325,121 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 178,435 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 1.59% of VSE worth $29,801,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VSEC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of VSE by 4.2% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,310 shares of the construction company's stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 134 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in VSE by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 5,250 shares of the construction company's stock worth $463,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in VSE by 13.8% in the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 3,818 shares of the construction company's stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in VSE during the second quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in shares of VSE by 22.9% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 4,521 shares of the construction company's stock worth $399,000 after buying an additional 842 shares during the period. 91.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

VSE Price Performance

Shares of VSE stock traded down $0.24 on Thursday, hitting $101.98. 325,085 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 153,107. VSE Co. has a 1-year low of $57.10 and a 1-year high of $123.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 3.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.71 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $109.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.47.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The construction company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.08. VSE had a return on equity of 7.26% and a net margin of 1.36%. The business had revenue of $273.61 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $270.88 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.92 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that VSE Co. will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 23rd will be given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.39%. VSE's payout ratio is 8.91%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on VSEC. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of VSE from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, December 6th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of VSE from $115.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com upgraded VSE to a "sell" rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. B. Riley raised their target price on VSE from $120.00 to $132.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on VSE from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, VSE currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $118.50.

About VSE

VSE Corporation operates as a diversified aftermarket products and services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Aviation and Fleet. The Aviation segment provides aftermarket parts supply and distribution; maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for components and engine accessories supporting commercial, business, and general aviation operators.