CoreCommodity Management LLC Purchases 158,856 Shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY)

CoreCommodity Management LLC lifted its position in shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY - Free Report) by 95.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 324,858 shares of the energy company's stock after purchasing an additional 158,856 shares during the period. CoreCommodity Management LLC owned 0.31% of VAALCO Energy worth $1,420,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in shares of VAALCO Energy by 319.0% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 160,736 shares of the energy company's stock worth $923,000 after buying an additional 122,373 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in VAALCO Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $308,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 362.2% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 48,965 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 38,372 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 172.0% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 152,798 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $877,000 after buying an additional 96,627 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of VAALCO Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $351,000. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

VAALCO Energy Price Performance

EGY stock traded up $0.09 during trading on Monday, reaching $3.52. 573,226 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 941,132. The company has a 50-day moving average of $3.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $4.29. The company has a market capitalization of $369.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.14 and a beta of 0.87. VAALCO Energy, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3.00 and a twelve month high of $7.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.32.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.06. VAALCO Energy had a net margin of 17.93% and a return on equity of 15.63%. The firm had revenue of $110.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $99.30 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that VAALCO Energy, Inc. will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VAALCO Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.11%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. VAALCO Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.45%.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Thor Pruckl sold 10,169 shares of VAALCO Energy stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3.95, for a total transaction of $40,167.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 174,992 shares in the company, valued at $691,218.40. This trade represents a 5.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of VAALCO Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday.

VAALCO Energy Profile

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.