LM Asset IM Inc. Acquires Shares of 2,000,000 Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET)

LM Asset IM Inc. purchased a new stake in Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET - Free Report) TSE: VET in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,000,000 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $18,806,000. Vermilion Energy comprises approximately 17.2% of LM Asset IM Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. LM Asset IM Inc. owned 1.30% of Vermilion Energy as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 586,529 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $5,514,000 after purchasing an additional 55,443 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vermilion Energy by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,066,063 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $57,100,000 after acquiring an additional 86,425 shares in the last quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 26.1% in the fourth quarter. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Co. LLC now owns 1,109,501 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $10,429,000 after acquiring an additional 229,900 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Vermilion Energy during the fourth quarter worth $761,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in Vermilion Energy by 267.2% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 159,556 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,498,000 after purchasing an additional 116,102 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 31.91% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on VET. Wall Street Zen lowered Vermilion Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 15th. Atb Cap Markets downgraded Vermilion Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Desjardins cut shares of Vermilion Energy from a "moderate buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, National Bankshares restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vermilion Energy currently has an average rating of "Hold".

Vermilion Energy Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE VET traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $6.56. 1,568,849 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,207,040. The company's fifty day moving average is $6.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.25. Vermilion Energy Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $5.14 and a fifty-two week high of $12.56. The stock has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of -1.75 and a beta of 1.12.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The oil and gas company reported $0.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.17 by ($0.10). The firm had revenue of $395.26 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $569.00 million. Vermilion Energy had a positive return on equity of 6.29% and a negative net margin of 41.53%. On average, analysts expect that Vermilion Energy Inc. will post 0.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.0903 dividend. This is an increase from Vermilion Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 31st. Vermilion Energy's payout ratio is currently -225.00%.

About Vermilion Energy

Vermilion Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas. The company has properties in West Central Alberta, southeast Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and West Pembina in Canada; Wyoming in the United States; southwest Bordeaux and Paris Basin in France; the Netherlands; Germany; Ireland; Croatia; Slovakia; and Australia.