Legato Capital Management LLC Acquires 5,175 Shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)

Legato Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) by 9.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 59,605 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,175 shares during the period. VSE accounts for approximately 1.0% of Legato Capital Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Legato Capital Management LLC owned 0.29% of VSE worth $7,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in VSE by 1.6% in the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 32,678 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,108,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter valued at about $421,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of VSE in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in shares of VSE by 233.7% in the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 25,048 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,382,000 after purchasing an additional 17,541 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of VSE during the 4th quarter valued at about $323,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.54% of the company's stock.

VSE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:VSEC traded up $2.59 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $136.67. 163,470 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 240,968. VSE Corporation has a twelve month low of $73.36 and a twelve month high of $140.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 170.84 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 3.90 and a quick ratio of 2.12. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $131.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $117.85.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The construction company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.23. VSE had a return on equity of 6.62% and a net margin of 1.41%. The business had revenue of $256.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $248.20 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.45 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 57.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that VSE Corporation will post 2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

VSE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 16th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.29%. VSE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on VSEC. Truist Financial raised their target price on VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. B. Riley lifted 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. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $130.00.

Insider Transactions at VSE

In other VSE news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.38, for a total transaction of $371,191.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,431.06. The trade was a 42.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 14.60% of the company's stock.

About VSE

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.