Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) Hits New 1-Year Low at $9.80

Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $9.80 and last traded at $9.85, with a volume of 158959 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.85.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VGR. StockNews.com raised Vector Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 26th. TheStreet cut Vector Group from a "b-" rating to a "c+" rating in a report on Thursday, December 28th.

Vector Group Trading Up 0.8 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.57 billion, a PE ratio of 8.49 and a beta of 1.02. The business has a 50-day moving average of $10.77 and a 200 day moving average of $10.82.

Vector Group (NYSE:VGR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $360.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $357.60 million. Vector Group had a negative return on equity of 24.93% and a net margin of 12.89%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vector Group Ltd. will post 1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vector Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.06%. Vector Group's payout ratio is 68.97%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Range Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in Vector Group by 55.7% in the 1st quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 35,224 shares of the company's stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 12,601 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC boosted its stake in Vector Group by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 73,002 shares of the company's stock worth $800,000 after purchasing an additional 4,701 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in Vector Group by 6.8% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 36,093 shares of the company's stock worth $407,000 after purchasing an additional 2,297 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Vector Group by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,585,616 shares of the company's stock worth $198,366,000 after purchasing an additional 74,550 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Vector Group by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 102,546 shares of the company's stock worth $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 64.09% of the company's stock.

Vector Group Company Profile

Vector Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates in two segments, Tobacco and Real Estate. The company produces cigarettes under the Montego, EAGLE 20's, Pyramid, Grand Prix, Liggett Select, Eve, and USA brand names, as well as various partner and private label brands.