VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC) Short Interest Up 26.5% in January

VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 2,006,688 shares, a growth of 26.5% from the December 31st total of 1,585,813 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 354,268 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.7 days. Currently, 8.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 8.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 354,268 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.7 days.

VSE Trading Up 0.4%

VSEC opened at $218.57 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $187.70 and a 200 day moving average of $171.42. The company has a current ratio of 3.94, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. VSE has a 12 month low of $91.55 and a 12 month high of $225.00. The firm has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 321.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.35.

VSE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 15th were given a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 15th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. VSE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.82%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on VSEC shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on VSE from $180.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Truist Financial set a $222.00 target price on shares of VSE in a report on Friday, January 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of VSE in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of VSE from $215.00 to $233.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of VSE from $209.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $212.57.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On VSE

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VSEC. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of VSE in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in VSE in the first quarter worth about $247,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of VSE by 946.7% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,884 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $313,000 after buying an additional 1,704 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB bought a new position in shares of VSE during the second quarter valued at approximately $498,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in shares of VSE by 262.1% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 4,168 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $693,000 after buying an additional 3,017 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.54% of the company’s stock.

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.