VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Sets New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $242.54 and last traded at $241.82, with a volume of 530415 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $221.23.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of VSE from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $230.00 price target on VSE in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on VSE from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of VSE in a research note on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on VSE from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, VSE currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $246.67.

VSE Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.51, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.23. The stock's fifty day moving average is $206.85 and its 200-day moving average is $200.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 3.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The construction company reported $1.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.82. The firm had revenue of $449.14 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $425.03 million. VSE had a net margin of 6.17% and a return on equity of 6.71%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 65.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.97 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that VSE Corporation will post 4.3 EPS for the current year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 15th will be given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 15th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. VSE's dividend payout ratio is currently 12.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Benjamin E. Thomas sold 6,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.82, for a total transaction of $1,279,330.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 42,839 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,431,571.98. This trade represents a 13.17% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On VSE

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of VSE by 34.2% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 13,139 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,576,000 after purchasing an additional 3,350 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in VSE during the 1st quarter worth approximately $247,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in VSE by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,485 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,258,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in VSE by 10.4% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 346,390 shares of the construction company's stock worth $41,563,000 after buying an additional 32,489 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in VSE by 56.6% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 50,422 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $6,050,000 after buying an additional 18,220 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About VSE

VSE Corporation NASDAQ: VSEC is a provider of aftermarket distribution and supply chain management services serving both government and commercial markets. The company's solutions span a wide range of industries, with particular emphasis on defense, aerospace and transportation. VSE's core mission is to ensure mission readiness by delivering critical parts, maintenance and technical support for equipment throughout its lifecycle.

Through its Distribution Services segment, VSE sources, markets and distributes replacement parts and components for commercial truck, bus, rail and specialty vehicle applications.

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