Vermilion Energy (TSE:VET) Trading Down 9.5% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares of Vermilion Energy fell 9.5% on Friday to C$15.45 (intraday low C$15.29) from a prior close of C$17.08, with about 525,000 shares traded—roughly 62% below average session volume.
• Analysts have been revising forecasts upward—several firms raised price targets (as high as C$24) and ratings—yet the MarketBeat consensus remains a “Hold” with an average target of C$16.94.
• Vermilion raised its quarterly dividend to $0.135 (a 3.4% yield), but the company shows a negative P/E, notable leverage (debt/equity 58.6) and recent insider selling, with insiders owning only 0.16% of the stock.

Shares of Vermilion Energy Inc. (TSE:VET - Get Free Report) NYSE: VET fell 9.5% on Friday . The company traded as low as C$15.29 and last traded at C$15.45. 524,984 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 62% from the average session volume of 1,377,368 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$17.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VET has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. ATB Cormark Capital Markets upgraded shares of Vermilion Energy from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from C$16.00 to C$24.00 in a report on Friday, March 27th. Desjardins raised their price target on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$13.50 to C$16.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. National Bank Financial raised their price target on Vermilion Energy from C$14.50 to C$18.50 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on Vermilion Energy from C$15.00 to C$22.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Vermilion Energy from C$14.00 to C$15.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of C$16.94.

Vermilion Energy Price Performance

The company has a market cap of C$2.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.02 and a beta of 0.30. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$16.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$13.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 58.60, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a dividend of $0.135 per share. This is a boost from Vermilion Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Vermilion Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -12.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vermilion Energy

In other news, insider Gerard Schut sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$19.00, for a total value of C$190,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 94,268 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$1,791,092. This trade represents a 9.59% decrease in their position. Also, insider Yvonne Jeffery sold 6,332 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of C$19.51, for a total value of C$123,537.32. Following the transaction, the insider owned 30,527 shares in the company, valued at C$595,581.77. The trade was a 17.18% decrease in their position. 0.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Vermilion Energy

Vermilion Energy Inc is an international oil and gas producing company. It engages in full-cycle exploration and production programs that focus on the acquisition, exploration, development, and optimization of producing properties in North America, Europe, and Australia. The majority of Vermilion's revenue has derived from the production and sale of petroleum and natural gas. In each market, the company relies on a host of drilling and well completion techniques to keep production at attractive levels.

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