VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Given New $220.00 Price Target at Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada lowered VSE’s price target to $220 from $265 while maintaining an “outperform” rating, implying approximately 50.9% upside from the stock’s $145.76 price.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with VSE carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $253.38, although other firms have issued neutral or equal-weight ratings.
• VSE reported strong quarterly results, with earnings of $1.75 per share versus the $0.93 consensus estimate and revenue up 65% year over year to $449.14 million.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $265.00 to $220.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the construction company's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's target price suggests a potential upside of 50.93% from the stock's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on VSEC. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of VSE in a report on Monday, September 14th. They set a "neutral" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of VSE from $245.00 to $215.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of VSE from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of VSE in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. They issued a "sector weight" rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $275.00 price objective on shares of VSE in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $253.38.

VSE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:VSEC traded down $2.69 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $145.76. The stock had a trading volume of 73,003 shares, compared to its average volume of 532,890. VSE has a one year low of $138.85 and a one year high of $247.85. The company has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.81 and a beta of 1.27. The business's 50 day moving average is $183.14 and its 200-day moving average is $197.00.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The construction company reported $1.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.82. The company had revenue of $449.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.03 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 65.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that VSE will post 6.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at VSE

In other news, CEO John Cuomo sold 17,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $242.49, for a total transaction of $4,243,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 169,537 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,111,027.13. This trade represents a 9.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VSEC. Emerald Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of VSE by 12.6% in the first quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 314,789 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $58,047,000 after acquiring an additional 35,246 shares in the last quarter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust boosted its holdings in VSE by 16.4% in the 1st quarter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust now owns 195,915 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $36,127,000 after purchasing an additional 27,563 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in VSE in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,103,000. American Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of VSE during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,461,000. Finally, Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new position in shares of VSE during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $22,888,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.54% of the company's stock.

About VSE

VSE Corporation is a diversified provider of aftermarket distribution, maintenance, repair, overhaul, engineering, logistics and other sustainment services for government and commercial customers. The company supports complex assets and supply chains, with activities spanning aviation, defense, transportation and fleet markets.

Through its aviation businesses, VSE distributes aircraft parts and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for commercial, general aviation, business and government aircraft.

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