Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Stock Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Price breakout: Shares moved above the 200‑day moving average (200‑day MA $4.59), trading as high as $6.60 and last at $6.5550 on heavy volume (~1.69M shares).
• Analyst/valuation backdrop: Brokerages are mixed—MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Reduce" with a consensus target of $7.30, while individual firms range from Sell to Hold.
• Fundamentals & dividend: The most recent quarter missed EPS (‑$0.02 vs $0.02 est.) despite a revenue beat, the company remains unprofitable, but it pays a $0.0625 quarterly dividend (≈3.8% yield).

Shares of Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.59 and traded as high as $6.60. Vaalco Energy shares last traded at $6.5550, with a volume of 1,687,903 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on EGY. Wall Street Zen raised Vaalco Energy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. Loop Capital set a $7.30 target price on Vaalco Energy in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Zacks Research cut Vaalco Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Vaalco Energy from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vaalco Energy presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $5.74 and a 200-day moving average of $4.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $701.45 million, a P/E ratio of -16.39 and a beta of 0.19.

Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The energy company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02 by ($0.04). Vaalco Energy had a negative net margin of 11.52% and a negative return on equity of 0.81%. The business had revenue of $91.04 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $76.30 million. Equities analysts predict that Vaalco Energy Inc will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vaalco Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Vaalco Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -62.50%.

Institutional Trading of Vaalco Energy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EGY. UBS Group AG increased its position in Vaalco Energy by 154.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,326,729 shares of the energy company's stock worth $4,829,000 after purchasing an additional 806,283 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Vaalco Energy by 228.0% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 744,296 shares of the energy company's stock worth $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 517,368 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Vaalco Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $1,638,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vaalco Energy in the third quarter worth about $1,383,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Vaalco Energy by 7.2% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,740,856 shares of the energy company's stock worth $19,058,000 after purchasing an additional 316,570 shares during the period. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vaalco Energy

Vaalco Energy, Inc is an independent energy company principally engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vaalco concentrates on offshore assets in West Africa, with a strategic emphasis on maintaining and optimizing cash-flow–generating properties. Founded in the mid-1980s, the company has built its reputation by focusing on high-impact drilling prospects and extending the productive life of its core fields through targeted infill wells and enhanced recovery techniques.

The company's primary producing asset is the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon, where Vaalco holds a majority interest and serves as operator.

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