Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Stock Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.23 and traded as high as $5.25. Vaalco Energy shares last traded at $5.2340, with a volume of 1,311,673 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on EGY. Weiss Ratings lowered Vaalco Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Vaalco Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Vaalco Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $5.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $550.91 million, a PE ratio of -3.86 and a beta of 0.09.

Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($0.45) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by ($0.44). Vaalco Energy had a negative return on equity of 12.74% and a negative net margin of 45.86%.The company had revenue of $62.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $78.20 million. On average, equities analysts forecast that Vaalco Energy Inc will post 0.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vaalco Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.7%. Vaalco Energy’s payout ratio is currently -18.25%.

Institutional Trading of Vaalco Energy

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in shares of Vaalco Energy by 154.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,326,729 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $4,829,000 after buying an additional 806,283 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Vaalco Energy by 125.9% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 1,214,918 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $7,703,000 after acquiring an additional 677,176 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Vaalco Energy by 228.0% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 744,296 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 517,368 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of Vaalco Energy during the fourth quarter worth $1,638,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Vaalco Energy by 10.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,028,909 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $25,545,000 after purchasing an additional 389,058 shares during the last quarter. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vaalco Energy

Vaalco Energy, Inc is an independent energy company principally engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vaalco concentrates on offshore assets in West Africa, with a strategic emphasis on maintaining and optimizing cash-flow–generating properties. Founded in the mid-1980s, the company has built its reputation by focusing on high-impact drilling prospects and extending the productive life of its core fields through targeted infill wells and enhanced recovery techniques.

The company’s primary producing asset is the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon, where Vaalco holds a majority interest and serves as operator.