Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Vertex Energy (NASDAQ:VTNR)

Vertex Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:VTNR – Get Rating) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders purchased 11,144 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 104% compared to the typical daily volume of 5,466 call options.

Insider Activity at Vertex Energy

In related news, CEO Benjamin P. Cowart sold 66,666 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.10, for a total value of $539,994.60. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 5,650,608 shares in the company, valued at approximately $45,769,924.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 16.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vertex Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Virtu Financial LLC boosted its stake in Vertex Energy by 246.3% in the 4th quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 51,072 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $317,000 after purchasing an additional 36,323 shares during the period. Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk LLC raised its holdings in Vertex Energy by 185.1% in the 4th quarter. Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk LLC now owns 162,500 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,008,000 after acquiring an additional 105,500 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC acquired a new position in Vertex Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $453,000. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Vertex Energy by 244.2% in the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 22,115 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $137,000 after acquiring an additional 15,690 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Linscomb & Williams Inc. acquired a new position in Vertex Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $74,000. 63.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vertex Energy Trading Up 15.9 %

Shares of Vertex Energy stock opened at $9.47 on Wednesday. Vertex Energy has a 52-week low of $5.42 and a 52-week high of $18.10. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $7.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $7.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.81.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Craig Hallum raised their target price on shares of Vertex Energy from $12.00 to $15.00 in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Vertex Energy in a research note on Tuesday, December 13th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $6.90 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vertex Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 18th. Finally, Northland Securities began coverage on shares of Vertex Energy in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $15.00 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vertex Energy presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.91.

About Vertex Energy

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Vertex Energy, Inc engages in the recycle of industrial waste streams and off-specification commercial chemical products. The firm focuses on the recycle of used motor oil and other petroleum by-products. It operates through the following segments: Black Oil, Refining and Marketing and Recovery. The Black Oil segment collects and purchases used motor oil from third-party generators, established network of local and regional collectors and sells used motor oil to customers for use as a feedstock or replacement fuel for industrial burners.