Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Upgraded at ATB Cormark Capital Markets

ATB Cormark Capital Markets upgraded shares of Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) (TSE:VET) from a hold rating to a moderate buy rating in a research report released on Friday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Vermilion Energy from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. TD Securities reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Vermilion Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Vermilion Energy in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vermilion Energy currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.00.

Vermilion Energy Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of VET stock opened at $13.92 on Friday. Vermilion Energy has a twelve month low of $5.14 and a twelve month high of $14.82. The stock has a market cap of $2.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.55 and a beta of 0.61. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $10.93 and a 200 day moving average of $9.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58.

Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) (TSE:VET) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.33. Vermilion Energy had a positive return on equity of 3.80% and a negative net margin of 34.30%.The business had revenue of $334.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $384.74 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vermilion Energy will post 0.22 EPS for the current year.

Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.135 dividend. This represents a $0.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Vermilion Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Vermilion Energy’s payout ratio is currently -13.07%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vermilion Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in Vermilion Energy by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 11,846 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $99,000 after acquiring an additional 1,289 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 5.8% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 26,209 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 1,430 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 18.9% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 9,249 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 14.8% in the third quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 12,989 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,671 shares during the period. Finally, Hilltop National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Vermilion Energy by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 31,730 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $265,000 after purchasing an additional 1,720 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.91% of the company’s stock.

Vermilion Energy Company Profile

Vermilion Energy Inc is a Canadian-based international oil and gas producer headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Established in 1994, the company focuses on the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas reserves through its wholly owned and joint venture assets. Vermilion’s upstream operations target a balance of oil and gas projects across various regions, with an emphasis on high-quality resource plays that can deliver stable cash flow and long-term reserves replacement.

Vermilion’s product portfolio includes light and medium crude oil, heavy oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs).