Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Invests $1.64 Million in Vaalco Energy Inc $EGY

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired 450,000 shares of Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) in Q4 — about $1.64 million, representing roughly 0.43% ownership; overall institutional ownership stands at ~50.32% with other firms (AQR, Goldman Sachs) recently increasing stakes.
• Vaalco reported quarterly EPS of ($0.02), missing estimates while revenue of $91.0M beat expectations; the company shows negative net margin and ROE, a market cap of ~$693M and a negative P/E (~ -16.2).
• Vaalco pays a quarterly dividend (annualized $0.25) equating to a 3.9% yield, but analyst coverage is mixed with a MarketBeat consensus rating of "Reduce" and a $7.30 price target.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 450,000 shares of the energy company's stock, valued at approximately $1,638,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned about 0.43% of Vaalco Energy at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of EGY. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 228.0% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 744,296 shares of the energy company's stock worth $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 517,368 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 14.5% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 54,171 shares of the energy company's stock worth $204,000 after purchasing an additional 6,840 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 32.9% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 737,435 shares of the energy company's stock worth $2,773,000 after purchasing an additional 182,489 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Vaalco Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $136,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Vaalco Energy by 5.6% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 573,580 shares of the energy company's stock worth $2,157,000 after purchasing an additional 30,295 shares during the last quarter. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vaalco Energy Stock Performance

NYSE EGY opened at $6.48 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $5.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.63. Vaalco Energy Inc has a 12-month low of $3.14 and a 12-month high of $6.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $693.00 million, a P/E ratio of -16.19 and a beta of 0.17.

Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The energy company reported ($0.02) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.04). Vaalco Energy had a negative return on equity of 0.81% and a negative net margin of 11.52%.The firm had revenue of $91.04 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $76.30 million. Analysts anticipate that Vaalco Energy Inc will post 0.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Vaalco Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. Vaalco Energy's dividend payout ratio is -62.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Vaalco Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Loop Capital set a $7.30 price target on shares of Vaalco Energy in a research note on Friday, January 16th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vaalco Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Vaalco Energy from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Profile

Vaalco Energy, Inc is an independent energy company principally engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vaalco concentrates on offshore assets in West Africa, with a strategic emphasis on maintaining and optimizing cash-flow–generating properties. Founded in the mid-1980s, the company has built its reputation by focusing on high-impact drilling prospects and extending the productive life of its core fields through targeted infill wells and enhanced recovery techniques.

The company's primary producing asset is the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon, where Vaalco holds a majority interest and serves as operator.

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