Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $5.05 and traded as high as $5.47. Vaalco Energy shares last traded at $5.4350, with a volume of 1,355,296 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EGY has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Vaalco Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vaalco Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Vaalco Energy from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Trading Up 0.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.51 and a quick ratio of 0.47. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $5.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.05. The stock has a market cap of $566.65 million, a P/E ratio of -3.97 and a beta of 0.10.

Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The energy company reported ($0.45) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $78.20 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Vaalco Energy Inc will post 0.11 EPS for the current year.

Vaalco Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. Vaalco Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently -18.25%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vaalco Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Vaalco Energy by 2.0% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 108,583 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $688,000 after purchasing an additional 2,119 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in Vaalco Energy by 7.8% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 39,765 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 2,885 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Vaalco Energy by 5.0% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 62,892 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 2,977 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Vaalco Energy by 0.9% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 333,556 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $2,115,000 after purchasing an additional 3,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GF Fund Management CO. LTD. raised its stake in Vaalco Energy by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. now owns 31,300 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 3,136 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.32% of the company’s stock.

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.