Ping Capital Management Inc. Sells 97,700 Shares of Vale S.A. $VALE

Key Points

• Ping Capital Management cut its Vale stake by 73.6% in Q4, selling 97,700 shares and ending the quarter with 35,100 shares valued at $457,000.
• Several analysts (Barclays, JPMorgan, Bank of America) have recently raised price targets and ratings, leaving Vale with a MarketBeat average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $15.95.
• Contrasting the institutional reduction, insiders Parenti Grazielle Tallia and VP Sobrinho Sami Arap bought 10,464 and 12,990 shares respectively on April 1 at about $16.11 per share.

Ping Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE - Free Report) by 73.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 35,100 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 97,700 shares during the quarter. Ping Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Vale were worth $457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Vale by 60.0% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 2,748 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,030 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Vale in the third quarter worth $34,000. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in shares of Vale by 36.3% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 4,713 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 1,256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Vale by 171.6% in the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 4,951 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $54,000 after acquiring an additional 3,128 shares during the last quarter. 21.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Vale from $15.50 to $16.50 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Vale from $18.00 to $18.50 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Bank of America raised shares of Vale from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $19.00 in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Vale in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada downgraded shares of Vale from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $14.50 to $15.50 in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vale presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $15.95.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Parenti Grazielle Tallia acquired 10,464 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $16.11 per share, with a total value of $168,575.04. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 10,464 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $168,575.04. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Sobrinho Sami Arap acquired 12,990 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.11 per share, for a total transaction of $209,268.90. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 12,990 shares of the company's stock, valued at $209,268.90. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Vale Trading Down 1.2%

Vale stock opened at $16.16 on Friday. Vale S.A. has a one year low of $8.97 and a one year high of $17.94. The business's fifty day moving average is $16.20 and its 200 day moving average is $14.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.35 billion, a PE ratio of 24.12 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.78.

Vale (NYSE:VALE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $9.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.53 billion. Vale had a return on equity of 20.90% and a net margin of 7.21%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vale S.A. will post 2.08 EPS for the current year.

Vale Profile

Vale SA is a Brazilian multinational mining company and one of the world's largest producers of iron ore and iron ore pellets. In addition to iron ore, the company produces and sells a range of bulk commodities and metals, including nickel, copper, coal, manganese, ferroalloys and cobalt, and it participates in the fertilizer inputs market. Vale also operates extensive logistics assets — including rail, port and maritime logistics — that support its mining and export activities and provide services to third parties in some regions.

Headquartered in Brazil, Vale maintains a global operational footprint with mining, processing and shipping activities across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

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