VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Sets New 52-Week High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $129.08 and last traded at $124.43, with a volume of 37350 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.06.

The construction company reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $256.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $248.20 million. VSE had a return on equity of 7.26% and a net margin of 1.36%. VSE’s revenue for the quarter was up 57.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.45 EPS.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.30%. VSE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 48.19%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VSEC. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on shares of VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded VSE to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, B. Riley increased their target price on VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.17.

Institutional Trading of VSE

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in VSE by 857.1% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 469 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in VSE during the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in shares of VSE by 36.5% during the first quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 610 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 163 shares during the period. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in shares of VSE during the first quarter valued at $99,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in VSE by 21.7% during the fourth quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,449 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 258 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 91.54% of the company’s stock.

VSE Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.72 billion, a PE ratio of 158.35 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 3.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $115.77 and a 200-day moving average of $109.17.

VSE Company Profile

VSE Corporation operates as a diversified aftermarket products and services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Aviation and Fleet. The Aviation segment provides aftermarket parts supply and distribution; maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for components and engine accessories supporting commercial, business, and general aviation operators.