UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Cuts Stake in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY)

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC reduced its position in shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY - Free Report) by 29.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 303,900 shares of the energy company's stock after selling 124,425 shares during the quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC owned 0.29% of VAALCO Energy worth $1,328,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy in the 4th quarter worth $6,515,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in VAALCO Energy by 51.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,468,093 shares of the energy company's stock worth $10,784,000 after purchasing an additional 834,398 shares during the period. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP increased its position in VAALCO Energy by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. First Sabrepoint Capital Management LP now owns 1,950,000 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $8,522,000 after acquiring an additional 500,000 shares during the last quarter. Tieton Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of VAALCO Energy by 23.0% during the 4th quarter. Tieton Capital Management LLC now owns 1,805,053 shares of the energy company's stock valued at $7,888,000 after purchasing an additional 337,644 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in VAALCO Energy by 8.7% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,901,984 shares of the energy company's stock worth $17,052,000 after acquiring an additional 312,576 shares during the period. 50.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded VAALCO Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th.

Insider Transactions at VAALCO Energy

In related news, COO Thor Pruckl sold 10,169 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3.95, for a total transaction of $40,167.55. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 174,992 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $691,218.40. This trade represents a 5.49% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

VAALCO Energy Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of EGY opened at $3.44 on Monday. VAALCO Energy, Inc. has a 1 year low of $3.00 and a 1 year high of $7.43. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.34 and a quick ratio of 1.32. The firm has a market cap of $356.62 million, a P/E ratio of 4.04 and a beta of 0.83.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The energy company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.06. VAALCO Energy had a return on equity of 15.63% and a net margin of 17.93%. The company had revenue of $110.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $99.30 million. On average, equities analysts expect that VAALCO Energy, Inc. will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VAALCO Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 27th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.28%. VAALCO Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 45.45%.

VAALCO Energy Profile

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.

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