Tieton Capital Management LLC Boosts Holdings in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY)

Tieton Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY - Free Report) by 23.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,805,053 shares of the energy company's stock after buying an additional 337,644 shares during the period. VAALCO Energy comprises approximately 3.2% of Tieton Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Tieton Capital Management LLC owned approximately 1.72% of VAALCO Energy worth $7,888,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. IFP Advisors Inc bought a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in VAALCO Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $59,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, Zacks Investment Management lifted its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy by 19.6% in the 3rd quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 15,419 shares of the energy company's stock worth $89,000 after purchasing an additional 2,527 shares during the period. 50.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded VAALCO Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other VAALCO Energy news, COO Thor Pruckl sold 10,169 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.95, for a total transaction of $40,167.55. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 174,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at $691,218.40. The trade was a 5.49 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

VAALCO Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EGY traded down $0.12 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $3.81. The stock had a trading volume of 1,004,175 shares, compared to its average volume of 966,868. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 1.34. VAALCO Energy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $3.57 and a 12-month high of $7.51. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $4.12 and a 200-day moving average of $4.86. The company has a market capitalization of $394.74 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.48 and a beta of 1.16.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 13th. The energy company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $121.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $108.91 million. VAALCO Energy had a return on equity of 15.63% and a net margin of 17.93%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that VAALCO Energy, Inc. will post 0.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

VAALCO Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.57%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. VAALCO Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.45%.

About VAALCO Energy

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.