Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Acquires 36,619 Shares of Vale S.A. $VALE

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Vale S.A. by 24.8%, acquiring an additional 36,619 shares, bringing its total holdings to 184,041 shares worth approximately $1.84 million.
• A variety of institutional investors have been actively adjusting their positions in Vale, with some like GQG Partners LLC investing significantly in the company.
• Vale recently announced a semi-annual dividend of $0.3417 per share, reflecting a substantial dividend yield of 740% and a payout ratio of 58.54%.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE - Free Report) by 24.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 184,041 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 36,619 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.'s holdings in Vale were worth $1,837,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Sprott Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vale by 13.7% in the 1st quarter. Sprott Inc. now owns 100,033 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $998,000 after buying an additional 12,076 shares during the last quarter. Compound Planning Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vale by 209.7% in the 1st quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 71,837 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $717,000 after buying an additional 48,643 shares during the last quarter. Capital Analysts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vale in the 1st quarter worth approximately $51,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vale by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,628,829 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $46,196,000 after buying an additional 610,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group boosted its stake in shares of Vale by 1,119.6% in the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 33,904 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $338,000 after buying an additional 31,124 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 21.85% of the company's stock.

Vale Stock Performance

Vale stock traded down $0.12 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $10.17. The stock had a trading volume of 19,690,978 shares, compared to its average volume of 36,633,813. Vale S.A. has a 1 year low of $8.06 and a 1 year high of $12.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock's 50 day moving average is $9.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.68. The stock has a market cap of $46.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.26 and a beta of 0.79.

Vale (NYSE:VALE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.16. Vale had a net margin of 14.23% and a return on equity of 18.14%. The business had revenue of $8.80 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.54 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Vale S.A. will post 1.85 EPS for the current year.

Vale Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.3417 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 13th. This represents a yield of 740.0%. Vale's payout ratio is presently 58.54%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VALE. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $10.00 target price (up previously from $9.00) on shares of Vale in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Barclays boosted their target price on Vale from $12.75 to $13.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 2nd. CICC Research began coverage on Vale in a research note on Monday, May 12th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $11.30 price objective on the stock. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on Vale from $13.00 to $12.50 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen began coverage on Vale in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. They issued a "hold" rating on the stock. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $11.84.

Vale Company Profile

Vale SA, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells iron ore and iron ore pellets for use as raw materials in steelmaking in Brazil and internationally. The company operates through Iron Solutions and Energy Transition Materials segments. The Iron Solutions segment produces and extracts iron ore and pellets, manganese, and other ferrous products; and provides related logistic services.