Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Stock Price Up 4.1% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Vermilion Energy shares rose 4.1% to about $13.16, outperforming its previous close, although trading volume was 59% below the average session level.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: two analysts rate the stock Buy, six rate it Hold and one rates it Sell. The consensus rating is Hold, with a target price of $15.00.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.62, well above the $0.05 consensus estimate, and revenue of $390.53 million versus expectations of $330.39 million. Vermilion also offers an annualized dividend of C$0.54, yielding about 4.1%.

Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET's share price was up 4.1% during trading on Friday. The company traded as high as $13.14 and last traded at $13.1640. Approximately 722,576 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 1,758,411 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.65.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vermilion Energy from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Desjardins raised Vermilion Energy to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Vermilion Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, TD Securities restated a "buy" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $15.00.

Vermilion Energy Price Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average price is $12.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of -6.25 and a beta of 0.58.

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

Vermilion Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 29th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 15th were issued a dividend of C$0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Vermilion Energy's payout ratio is currently -18.48%.

Institutional Trading of Vermilion Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VET. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Vermilion Energy in the second quarter valued at $1,100,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its stake in Vermilion Energy by 212.3% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 172,429 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,615,000 after acquiring an additional 117,219 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Vermilion Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,300,000. Man Group plc acquired a new stake in Vermilion Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,039,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new position in Vermilion Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $12,357,000. 31.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vermilion Energy Company Profile

Vermilion Energy Inc is an international oil and natural gas exploration and production company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The company explores for, develops and produces crude oil, condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas, with a portfolio focused on assets in North America and Europe.

Vermilion's North American operations include oil and natural gas properties in Canada and the United States. In Europe, the company has historically maintained production and development interests in countries including France, the Netherlands, Germany and Croatia.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.