Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Shares of Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.97 and traded as high as $5.59. Vaalco Energy shares last traded at $5.5450, with a volume of 840,343 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on EGY. Wall Street Zen downgraded Vaalco Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Zacks Research upgraded Vaalco Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Vaalco Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Stock Up 4.8%

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 stock has a market capitalization of $578.12 million, a P/E ratio of -4.05 and a beta of 0.10. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $5.92 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.97.

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

Vaalco Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Vaalco Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently -18.25%.

Institutional Trading of Vaalco Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EGY. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position 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 buying an additional 517,368 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Vaalco Energy by 14.5% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 54,171 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $204,000 after buying an additional 6,840 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in Vaalco Energy by 32.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 737,435 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,773,000 after buying an additional 182,489 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in Vaalco Energy in the first quarter worth $136,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in Vaalco Energy by 5.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 573,580 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,157,000 after buying an additional 30,295 shares during the last quarter. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vaalco Energy Company Profile

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.