Viper Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:VNOM) Given Average Recommendation of "Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Viper Energy Inc. has received an average rating of "Buy" from sixteen analysts, with the average one-year price target set at $55.53.
• Despite an average quarterly earnings surpassing expectations, Viper Energy's shares have seen a 3.1% decline, opening at $38.48 amid recent market fluctuations.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.53, representing a 5.5% yield, although it has cut its dividend from previous levels.

Shares of Viper Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:VNOM - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Buy" by the sixteen analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $55.5333.

Several research analysts recently issued reports on VNOM shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Viper Energy from $51.00 to $48.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Roth Capital set a $50.00 price target on Viper Energy and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen lowered Viper Energy from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. William Blair started coverage on shares of Viper Energy in a research report on Monday, August 25th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Viper Energy from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 4th.

Viper Energy Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of NASDAQ VNOM opened at $38.48 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.25 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 6.15 and a quick ratio of 6.15. Viper Energy has a 1 year low of $34.71 and a 1 year high of $56.76. The firm has a market cap of $11.10 billion, a PE ratio of 11.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 17.75 and a beta of 1.04.

Viper Energy (NASDAQ:VNOM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $297.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $285.35 million. Viper Energy had a net margin of 37.84% and a return on equity of 3.92%. The company's revenue was up 37.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.62 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Viper Energy will post 2.02 EPS for the current year.

Viper Energy Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 14th were issued a $0.53 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 14th. This represents a $2.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.5%. Viper Energy's payout ratio is presently 38.15%.

Institutional Trading of Viper Energy

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VNOM. Financial Gravity Companies Inc. bought a new position in shares of Viper Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Viper Energy by 129.0% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 735 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new stake in Viper Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $34,000. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in Viper Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Viper Energy by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,000 shares of the oil and gas producer's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. 87.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Viper Energy

Viper Energy, Inc engages in the acquisition of oil and natural gas properties. It owns, acquires, and exploits oil and natural gas properties in North America. The company was founded on February 27, 2014 and is headquartered in Midland, TX.

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