Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Cut to Sell at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Vermilion Energy was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from "hold" to "sell", though the consensus rating across analysts remains a "Hold" (1 Buy, 6 Hold, 1 Sell) with an average target price of $15.00.
• Q4 was mixed: EPS $0.63 beat estimates of $0.30 but revenue missed and the company reports a negative net margin (-34.3%); management highlighted record annual production and approved a CAD 0.135/share dividend.
• Institutional investors materially increased stakes in the quarter (notably UBS, Mackenzie, Ameriprise), with institutions now owning roughly 31.9% of the company.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. TD Securities reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Vermilion Energy from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Zacks Research raised shares of Vermilion Energy from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $15.00.

Vermilion Energy Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of VET opened at $11.33 on Friday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $9.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a PE ratio of -3.70 and a beta of 0.61. Vermilion Energy has a 12-month low of $5.14 and a 12-month high of $12.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET - Get Free Report) TSE: VET last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.33. The firm had revenue of $334.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $384.74 million. Vermilion Energy had a positive return on equity of 3.80% and a negative net margin of 34.30%. As a group, research analysts predict that Vermilion Energy will post 0.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Vermilion Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Vermilion Energy by 118.2% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 5,592,890 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $46,645,000 after acquiring an additional 3,029,328 shares in the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Vermilion Energy by 130.2% in the fourth quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 3,174,261 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $26,483,000 after acquiring an additional 1,795,636 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vermilion Energy by 22.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,512,118 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $58,745,000 after acquiring an additional 1,388,489 shares in the last quarter. LM Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 28.2% during the fourth quarter. LM Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,772,600 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $31,434,000 after purchasing an additional 830,600 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 19.5% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,863,101 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $30,173,000 after purchasing an additional 631,655 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 31.91% of the company's stock.

Key Vermilion Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vermilion Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record annual production, production above guidance and robust fund flows from operations — evidence of operational momentum that supports cash generation and the payout. PR Newswire: Record production and fund flows
• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a CAD 0.135/share cash dividend (payable Mar 31), the fifth consecutive annual increase — supports income investors and signals management confidence in cash flow. PR Newswire: Dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its VET price target from $14 to $15 (sector perform), providing a visible upside reference for investors. Benzinga: RBC raises price target
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst/commentary (Seeking Alpha) frames VET as a deep-value natural gas play with improving balance sheet metrics and production/cost trends — supports longer-term buyer interest. Seeking Alpha: Deep value thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4: EPS of $0.63 beat consensus ($0.30), but revenue missed estimates and the company still reports a negative net margin — a mixed quarter that explains divergent investor reactions. MarketBeat: Q4 results and call
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Securities reaffirmed a “hold” rating — no change in near-term analyst conviction from a notable firm. Zacks: TD Securities rating
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets and data providers reported heavy headline swings and post‑earnings selling; unclear/erroneous third‑party numbers circulated, which can amplify short‑term volatility and investor uncertainty. QuiverQuant: Market reaction and coverage

About Vermilion Energy

Vermilion Energy Inc is a Canadian-based international oil and gas producer headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Established in 1994, the company focuses on the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas reserves through its wholly owned and joint venture assets. Vermilion's upstream operations target a balance of oil and gas projects across various regions, with an emphasis on high-quality resource plays that can deliver stable cash flow and long-term reserves replacement.

Vermilion's product portfolio includes light and medium crude oil, heavy oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs).

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