Hennessy Advisors Inc. Sells 13,200 Shares of VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC)

Hennessy Advisors Inc. reduced its holdings in VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) by 10.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 114,746 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 13,200 shares during the quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.56% of VSE worth $13,768,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in shares of VSE by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 15,955 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,517,000 after acquiring an additional 490 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter worth approximately $557,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter worth approximately $24,018,000. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings in shares of VSE by 76.2% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 12,963 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,233,000 after acquiring an additional 5,608 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its holdings in shares of VSE by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 12,982 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,235,000 after acquiring an additional 4,176 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

VSE Trading Down 1.8%

Shares of VSE stock traded down $2.60 on Friday, hitting $137.95. 182,789 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 221,275. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $123.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $112.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, a PE ratio of 172.44 and a beta of 1.28. VSE Co. has a one year low of $73.36 and a one year high of $140.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 3.69 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The construction company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $256.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $248.20 million. VSE had a net margin of 1.36% and a return on equity of 7.26%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 57.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.45 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that VSE Co. will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be given a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 16th. VSE's payout ratio is 50.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at VSE

In related news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.38, for a total value of $371,191.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,837 shares in the company, valued at $496,431.06. This represents a 42.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 14.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on VSEC. B. Riley upped their price objective on VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised VSE to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $125.17.

VSE Company Profile

VSE Corporation operates as a diversified aftermarket products and services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Aviation and Fleet. The Aviation segment provides aftermarket parts supply and distribution; maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for components and engine accessories supporting commercial, business, and general aviation operators.