Northern Trust Corp Boosts Stock Position in VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC)

Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC - Free Report) by 40.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 203,322 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 58,765 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned about 1.00% of VSE worth $19,336,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of VSE by 14.5% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 1,842 shares of the construction company's stock worth $175,000 after acquiring an additional 233 shares during the period. Corebridge Financial Inc. increased its holdings in VSE by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Corebridge Financial Inc. now owns 8,753 shares of the construction company's stock worth $832,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in VSE by 21.7% in the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,449 shares of the construction company's stock worth $138,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc increased its holdings in VSE by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 60,648 shares of the construction company's stock worth $5,768,000 after purchasing an additional 299 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in VSE by 13.8% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 3,223 shares of the construction company's stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 391 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

VSE Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of NASDAQ VSEC traded up $2.23 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $133.44. 175,120 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 216,988. The company has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a PE ratio of 166.80 and a beta of 1.34. VSE Co. has a one year low of $73.36 and a one year high of $139.51. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $117.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $110.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 3.69.

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

VSE Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.30%. VSE's payout ratio is 50.00%.

Insider Activity at VSE

In related news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of VSE stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now owns 3,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at $496,431.06. The trade was a 42.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 14.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Truist Financial lifted their target price on VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. B. Riley lifted their target price on VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. StockNews.com upgraded VSE to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, VSE has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus 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.