Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust Makes New Investment in VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)

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

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSEC. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in VSE by 52.6% during the 4th quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,026,164 shares of the construction company's stock worth $192,689,000 after acquiring an additional 698,642 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter valued at $35,834,000. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter valued at $31,692,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of VSE by 63.4% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 716,168 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $68,115,000 after purchasing an additional 277,971 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in shares of VSE by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,794,069 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $170,616,000 after purchasing an additional 258,674 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.54% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

VSE Price Performance

Shares of VSEC opened at $126.67 on Friday. VSE Corporation has a 1 year low of $73.36 and a 1 year high of $140.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 3.90 and a quick ratio of 2.12. The company has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 158.34 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $130.83 and a 200-day moving average of $115.67.

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

VSE Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other VSE news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of VSE 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 sale, the director directly owned 3,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,431.06. The trade was a 42.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 14.60% of the company's stock.

VSE Profile

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.

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