Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR) Short Interest Down 17.0% in March

Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR - Get Free Report) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,830,000 shares, a decrease of 17.0% from the March 15th total of 3,410,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,030,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company's stock are sold short.

Vector Group Price Performance

VGR stock traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $9.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 739,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 911,970. The company's fifty day moving average price is $10.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.82. Vector Group has a twelve month low of $9.80 and a twelve month high of $13.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.49 and a beta of 1.02.

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

Vector Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th were paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.12%. Vector Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 68.97%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vector Group

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vector Group by 4.6% in the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 20,149 shares of the company's stock valued at $222,000 after buying an additional 884 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its position in Vector Group by 1.7% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 57,988 shares of the company's stock worth $743,000 after purchasing an additional 944 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vector Group by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 76,512 shares of the company's stock valued at $907,000 after purchasing an additional 961 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Vector Group by 51.9% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,892 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 988 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in shares of Vector Group by 2.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 35,940 shares of the company's stock valued at $433,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares during the period. 64.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Vector Group from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. TheStreet downgraded Vector Group from a "b-" rating to a "c+" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 28th.

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.