Emerald Advisers LLC Invests $19.67 Million in VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)

Emerald Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 163,935 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $19,671,000. Emerald Advisers LLC owned about 0.79% of VSE at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in VSE by 36.5% in the 1st quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 610 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in VSE by 14.5% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,842 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $175,000 after buying an additional 233 shares during the last quarter. Corebridge Financial Inc. raised its holdings in VSE by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Corebridge Financial Inc. now owns 8,753 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $832,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in VSE by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,449 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bragg Financial Advisors Inc raised its holdings in VSE by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 60,648 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $5,768,000 after buying an additional 299 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.54% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at VSE

In related news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of VSE stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.38, for a total value of $371,191.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $496,431.06. This trade represents a 42.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.30% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on VSEC shares. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. B. Riley increased their target price on shares of VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $130.00.

VSE Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of VSEC stock traded up $3.61 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $128.98. 152,198 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 224,369. The firm has a market cap of $2.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 161.23 and a beta of 1.26. VSE Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $73.36 and a fifty-two week high of $140.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a current ratio of 3.90. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $131.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $116.21.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The construction company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $256.05 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $248.20 million. VSE had a net margin of 1.41% and a return on equity of 6.62%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 57.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that VSE Corporation will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be given a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.31%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 16th. VSE's payout ratio is currently 50.00%.

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.