Valaris Limited $VAL Shares Acquired by M&T Bank Corp

Key Points

• M&T Bank Corp boosted its Valaris holding by 133% in Q4, buying 18,438 shares to own 32,306 shares worth $1.628 million at quarter-end.
• Analysts are cautious on Valaris with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $61.72 after several downgrades (ten Holds and one Sell reported).
• Valaris shares recently traded near their 12-month high (opened at $101.85; 12‑month high $105.35), the company has a market cap of $7.05 billion and a low PE of 7.28, and institutional ownership stands at about 96.74%.

M&T Bank Corp lifted its position in shares of Valaris Limited (NYSE:VAL - Free Report) by 133.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 32,306 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,438 shares during the quarter. M&T Bank Corp's holdings in Valaris were worth $1,628,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Valaris by 50.5% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 778 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP purchased a new stake in Valaris during the third quarter worth about $41,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Valaris by 22.1% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,133 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio boosted its holdings in Valaris by 100.0% during the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 1,200 shares of the company's stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Valaris by 240.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,853 shares of the company's stock worth $78,000 after buying an additional 1,308 shares in the last quarter. 96.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on VAL shares. BTIG Research downgraded shares of Valaris from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Susquehanna boosted their price objective on shares of Valaris from $96.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valaris in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Pareto Securities downgraded shares of Valaris from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating and set a $80.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Valaris from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valaris currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $61.72.

Valaris Stock Up 4.6%

Shares of NYSE VAL opened at $101.85 on Wednesday. Valaris Limited has a 12-month low of $31.81 and a 12-month high of $105.35. The company has a market capitalization of $7.05 billion, a PE ratio of 7.28 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 1.77. The firm's 50-day moving average is $94.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.32.

Valaris Profile

Valaris PLC is a leading provider of offshore drilling services to the global energy industry. The company operates a diverse fleet of mobile offshore drilling units, including drillships, semisubmersibles and jackup rigs, designed to support exploration and production activities in deepwater, ultra-deepwater and harsh‐environment settings. Valaris serves a wide range of international oil and gas customers, offering turnkey drilling solutions, project management and advanced technology integration to enhance operational efficiency and safety.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Valaris maintains a significant presence in key offshore basins around the world.

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