Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Shares of Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $38.08.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VTLE shares. Williams Trading set a $27.00 price target on Vital Energy in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Vital Energy from $36.00 to $24.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 25th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Vital Energy from $32.00 to $24.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Vital Energy from $33.00 to $27.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Siebert Williams Shank lowered shares of Vital Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their target price for the company from $62.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th.

Insider Activity at Vital Energy

In other news, CFO Bryan Lemmerman sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.73, for a total transaction of $207,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 97,556 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,022,335.88. This represents a 9.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, COO Kathryn Anne Hill sold 5,673 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.73, for a total value of $117,601.29. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 46,413 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $962,141.49. This trade represents a 10.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,647 shares of company stock valued at $448,742. 1.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vital Energy by 805.9% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 915 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vital Energy by 276.9% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,093 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 803 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Vital Energy during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Vital Energy in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in shares of Vital Energy by 247.4% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,553 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,106 shares in the last quarter. 86.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vital Energy Stock Up 3.0 %

Shares of Vital Energy stock traded up $0.61 on Friday, reaching $20.71. 266,700 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,052,499. Vital Energy has a one year low of $19.76 and a one year high of $58.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The company has a 50-day moving average of $27.54 and a 200 day moving average of $29.35. The company has a market capitalization of $789.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.35 and a beta of 3.07.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $2.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.03 by $0.27. Vital Energy had a negative net margin of 8.89% and a positive return on equity of 9.48%. The firm had revenue of $534.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $550.90 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vital Energy will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current year.

About Vital Energy

Vital Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc in January 2023.