VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Shares Down 2.4% - Here's Why

VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) shares traded down 2.4% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $99.06 and last traded at $99.50. 164,038 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 7% from the average session volume of 153,072 shares. The stock had previously closed at $101.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

VSE Stock Performance

The business has a 50 day moving average price of $109.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 3.69. The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.16 and a beta of 1.57.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.08. VSE had a net margin of 1.36% and a return on equity of 7.26%. The firm had revenue of $273.61 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $270.88 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.92 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that VSE Co. will post 2.92 earnings per share for the current year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.40%. VSE's dividend payout ratio is currently 8.91%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VSEC. Calamos Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in VSE by 86.6% in the 2nd quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 31,431 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,775,000 after buying an additional 14,586 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in VSE by 10.7% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 84,987 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $7,503,000 after acquiring an additional 8,190 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in VSE during the 2nd quarter valued at $10,326,000. Legato Capital Management LLC increased its position in VSE by 660.8% during the 2nd quarter. Legato Capital Management LLC now owns 48,310 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $4,265,000 after purchasing an additional 41,960 shares during the period. Finally, K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc bought a new position in VSE in the 2nd quarter worth $2,145,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.54% of the company's stock.

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.