PDT Partners LLC Makes New Investment in Vital Energy, Inc. $VTLE

Key Points

• PDT Partners LLC acquired 186,649 shares of Vital Energy, Inc. valued at approximately $3.96 million, representing ownership of about 0.48% of the company.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed views on Vital Energy, with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $28.20.
• Vital Energy's stock recently closed at $17.82, with a 12-month low of $12.30 and high of $37.33, amidst negative trends in its financial performance.

PDT Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 186,649 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,961,000. PDT Partners LLC owned about 0.48% of Vital Energy as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Caption Management LLC purchased a new position in Vital Energy during the first quarter worth about $149,000. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp purchased a new position in Vital Energy during the first quarter worth about $1,152,000. FORA Capital LLC purchased a new position in Vital Energy during the first quarter worth about $282,000. Jump Financial LLC lifted its position in Vital Energy by 939.7% during the first quarter. Jump Financial LLC now owns 261,721 shares of the company's stock worth $5,554,000 after buying an additional 236,548 shares during the period. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Vital Energy by 4.0% during the first quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 502,740 shares of the company's stock worth $10,668,000 after buying an additional 19,480 shares during the period. 86.54% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vital Energy Stock Down 5.7%

Shares of NYSE:VTLE traded down $0.99 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $16.41. 1,461,004 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,116,492. The firm has a market cap of $634.87 million, a P/E ratio of -0.83 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 0.79. Vital Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $12.30 and a 52-week high of $36.72. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $16.97 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.04.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $429.63 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $481.25 million. Vital Energy had a positive return on equity of 11.86% and a negative net margin of 38.52%.The company's revenue was down 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.46 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vital Energy, Inc. will post 8.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vital Energy

In related news, major shareholder Richard D. Campbell sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.12, for a total transaction of $906,000.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 7,568,933 shares in the company, valued at approximately $137,149,065.96. This trade represents a 0.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on VTLE. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Vital Energy from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Vital Energy from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a "mixed" rating on shares of Vital Energy in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vital Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered Vital Energy from an "outperform" rating to an "underperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vital Energy currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $28.20.

Vital Energy Company Profile

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.