GW&K Investment Management LLC Increases Stock Position in VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)

GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) by 3.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 176,896 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 5,410 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.86% of VSE worth $21,226,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VSEC. Swiss National Bank grew its position in VSE by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 32,678 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $3,108,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in VSE during the fourth quarter valued at about $421,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in VSE during the fourth quarter valued at about $47,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in VSE by 233.7% during the fourth quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 25,048 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $2,382,000 after buying an additional 17,541 shares during the period. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in VSE during the fourth quarter valued at about $323,000. Institutional investors own 91.54% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on VSEC. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on shares of VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, B. Riley increased their target price on shares of VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $130.00.

VSE Stock Performance

NASDAQ:VSEC traded up $1.46 on Thursday, reaching $135.29. 62,500 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 241,188. 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 firm has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 168.98 and a beta of 1.26. VSE Corporation has a 52 week low of $73.36 and a 52 week high of $140.64. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $117.57.

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

VSE Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 16th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.30%. VSE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 50.00%.

Insider Activity at VSE

In other news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director directly owned 3,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $496,431.06. This trade represents a 42.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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.