Squarepoint Ops LLC Reduces Position in Viper Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNOM)

Squarepoint Ops LLC lowered its position in shares of Viper Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNOM - Free Report) by 54.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,551 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock after selling 10,245 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC's holdings in Viper Energy were worth $420,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VNOM. SIR Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in Viper Energy by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. SIR Capital Management L.P. now owns 427,410 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $20,973,000 after acquiring an additional 21,460 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Viper Energy by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 107,682 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock valued at $5,284,000 after purchasing an additional 20,154 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Viper Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $236,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Viper Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $226,000. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in Viper Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $670,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.72% of the company's stock.

Viper Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VNOM traded up $1.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $41.33. 1,443,215 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,351,283. The company's 50 day moving average price is $40.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.78. The firm has a market cap of $11.93 billion, a PE ratio of 17.74 and a beta of 1.00. Viper Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $34.71 and a 52 week high of $56.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 7.24 and a quick ratio of 7.24.

Viper Energy (NASDAQ:VNOM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45 by $0.09. Viper Energy had a net margin of 24.65% and a return on equity of 6.72%. The business had revenue of $245.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $233.99 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.49 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Viper Energy, Inc. will post 2.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Viper Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.90%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. Viper Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VNOM. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Viper Energy from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Viper Energy from $54.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Raymond James reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $60.00 target price (up from $54.00) on shares of Viper Energy in a report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Viper Energy from $51.00 to $48.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Viper Energy from $62.00 to $56.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $56.85.

Viper Energy Profile

Viper Energy, Inc engages in the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties. It owns, acquires, and exploits oil and natural gas properties in North America. The company was founded on February 27, 2014 and is headquartered in Midland, TX.