Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE) Given Average Rating of "Reduce" by Analysts

Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Reduce" from the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have given a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $30.09.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Mizuho cut their price objective on Vital Energy from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Vital Energy from $33.00 to $27.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Vital Energy from $23.00 to $16.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Vital Energy from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Vital Energy from $34.00 to $23.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 13th.

Vital Energy Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of VTLE stock traded down $0.02 on Monday, reaching $18.31. 990,784 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,132,081. Vital Energy has a 12-month low of $12.30 and a 12-month high of $47.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 0.67. The company has a market capitalization of $709.84 million, a P/E ratio of -5.42 and a beta of 1.60. The business's 50 day moving average price is $17.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.66.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The company reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.26. Vital Energy had a positive return on equity of 10.34% and a negative net margin of 6.37%. The firm had revenue of $512.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $528.76 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.84 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Vital Energy will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Energy

In related news, CEO M. Jason Pigott purchased 5,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $18.09 per share, with a total value of $99,495.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 251,533 shares in the company, valued at $4,550,231.97. This trade represents a 2.24% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vital Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. increased its holdings in Vital Energy by 48.3% during the 1st quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 3,284,584 shares of the company's stock worth $69,699,000 after purchasing an additional 1,070,289 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Vital Energy by 2.2% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,162,797 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,895,000 after buying an additional 46,300 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Vital Energy by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,395,883 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,157,000 after acquiring an additional 9,676 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Vital Energy during the fourth quarter worth $39,392,000. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vital Energy by 35.8% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 675,293 shares of the company's stock worth $14,330,000 after purchasing an additional 177,851 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.54% of the company's stock.

Vital Energy Company Profile

Vital Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc in January 2023.