Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust Buys New Position in VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)

Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust bought a new position in shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 71,024 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $8,522,000. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust owned about 0.34% of VSE at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in shares of VSE by 94.3% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,608 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $553,000 after acquiring an additional 2,236 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank boosted its position in shares of VSE by 36.5% in the first quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 610 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in shares of VSE in the first quarter valued at about $99,000. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in shares of VSE by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 15,955 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,517,000 after acquiring an additional 490 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of VSE by 76.2% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 12,963 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,233,000 after acquiring an additional 5,608 shares during the period. 91.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.38, for a total value of $371,191.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $496,431.06. This represents a 42.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 14.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

VSE Price Performance

NASDAQ VSEC traded down $4.21 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $125.37. 127,799 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 224,239. The company has a current ratio of 3.90, a quick ratio of 2.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market cap of $2.59 billion, a PE ratio of 156.71 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 stock's 50 day moving average price is $130.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $115.92.

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

VSE Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 16th. VSE's dividend payout ratio is currently 50.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VSEC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial boosted their price target on VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, B. Riley boosted their price target on VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $130.00.

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.