VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Raised to "Strong-Buy" at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded VSE to “strong-buy” from “hold,” adding to an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus. Analysts’ average price target is $260, with recent targets ranging from $230 to $290.
• VSE reported quarterly earnings of $1.75 per share, beating estimates of $0.93, while revenue rose 65% year over year to $449.14 million.
• Shares opened at $168.48, below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near the company’s $154.67 annual low; institutional investors own approximately 91.5% of outstanding shares.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on VSEC. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of VSE from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of VSE from $245.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 target price on shares of VSE in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their target price on shares of VSE from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $275.00 price target on shares of VSE in a report on Sunday, August 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $260.00.

VSE Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VSEC opened at $168.48 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 3.77. The business's fifty day moving average price is $201.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $196.99. The stock has a market cap of $4.73 billion, a PE ratio of 54.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.27. VSE has a one year low of $154.67 and a one year high of $247.85.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.82. VSE had a return on equity of 6.71% and a net margin of 6.17%.The company had revenue of $449.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $425.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 65.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that VSE will post 6.75 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other VSE news, CEO John Cuomo sold 17,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $41,111,027.13. The trade was a 9.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of VSE

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VSEC. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in shares of VSE by 158.0% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 129 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in VSE during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in VSE by 89.0% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 276 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of VSE in the second quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of VSE by 4.4% in the second quarter. Amundi now owns 3,909 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $893,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.54% of the company's stock.

About VSE

VSE Corporation is a diversified provider of aftermarket distribution, maintenance, repair, engineering and logistics services. The company serves U.S. government agencies, defense organizations and commercial customers through specialized operating businesses focused on aviation, fleet management and federal services.

VSE Aviation distributes aircraft parts and related products and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for engines, components and other aviation systems. Its Fleet segment supports vehicle lifecycle management by supplying parts and providing maintenance, engineering and logistics services for government and commercial fleets.

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