Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Stock Sees Heavy Call Option Buying

Key Points

• Vermilion Energy saw unusually heavy call-option activity, with 2,584 calls purchased—about 202% above its average daily volume.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: the stock carries a consensus “Hold” rating and a $15.00 price target, while institutional ownership stands at 31.91%.
• VET traded at $11.77 and recently exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $0.62 EPS versus a $0.05 consensus estimate. The company also declared a C$0.14 quarterly dividend, representing an annualized yield of about 4.6%.

Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders bought 2,584 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 202% compared to the average daily volume of 856 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VET. Desjardins raised shares of Vermilion Energy to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen raised Vermilion Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Zacks Research raised Vermilion Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings raised Vermilion Energy from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, TD Securities reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a report on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $15.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VET. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 251.0% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,397 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 1,714 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in Vermilion Energy by 27.1% during the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 33,304 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $457,000 after acquiring an additional 7,095 shares in the last quarter. Amundi purchased a new position in Vermilion Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $143,000. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in Vermilion Energy by 10.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 144,324 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,202,000 after acquiring an additional 13,496 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Vermilion Energy by 19.1% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 130,122 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,793,000 after acquiring an additional 20,822 shares during the last quarter. 31.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vermilion Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:VET traded up $0.17 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $11.77. 273,652 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,801,578. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.57 and a beta of 0.33. The company has a 50-day moving average of $11.98 and a 200 day moving average of $11.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Vermilion Energy has a 1-year low of $7.10 and a 1-year high of $14.82.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The oil and gas company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.57. Vermilion Energy had a negative net margin of 22.48% and a positive return on equity of 5.26%. The company had revenue of $390.53 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $330.39 million.

Vermilion Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be paid a dividend of C$0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. Vermilion Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently -18.48%.

About Vermilion Energy

Vermilion Energy Inc is an international oil and natural gas exploration and production company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The company focuses on acquiring, exploring, developing and producing crude oil, natural gas, condensate and natural gas liquids, with an emphasis on operating assets in stable jurisdictions and generating production from conventional and resource plays.

Vermilion's operations have included properties in Canada and the United States, as well as European and other international markets such as France, the Netherlands, Germany, Croatia and Ireland.

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