Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) (TSE:VET) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also commented on VET. Desjardins lowered Vermilion Energy from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Scotiabank restated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Vermilion Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 16th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Vermilion Energy Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of Vermilion Energy stock opened at $7.93 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.20 and a beta of 0.69. Vermilion Energy has a 52-week low of $5.14 and a 52-week high of $10.49. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $8.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $7.98.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) (TSE:VET) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The oil and gas company reported ($0.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.04 by ($0.06). Vermilion Energy had a negative return on equity of 1.90% and a negative net margin of 12.08%.The firm had revenue of $337.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $373.83 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Vermilion Energy will post 0.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Vermilion Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.13 dividend. This represents a $0.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.6%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. Vermilion Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently -33.64%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vermilion Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VET. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 178.7% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,450 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 4,136 shares during the period. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in Vermilion Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $56,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vermilion Energy by 24.0% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 7,778 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 1,504 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Vermilion Energy during the second quarter worth about $82,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vermilion Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.91% of the company’s stock.

Vermilion Energy Company Profile

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).