Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Stock Price Up 6% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX) rose 6% during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $13.15 and last traded at $13.12. 346,480 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 1,832,369 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.38.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $19.00 price objective on shares of Vertex in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Vertex from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Vertex from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on Vertex from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Vertex in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Vertex currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $20.47.

Vertex Stock Down 3.9%

The company has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of -249.60 and a beta of 0.83. The company’s 50 day moving average is $12.66 and its 200 day moving average is $14.19. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $196.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $194.82 million. Vertex had a negative net margin of 0.84% and a positive return on equity of 26.04%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.15 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Vertex, Inc. will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Vertex

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Vertex in the second quarter worth approximately $54,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Vertex by 25.7% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of Vertex during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of Vertex by 49.1% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 1,376 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.32% of the company’s stock.

About Vertex

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.