Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the fifteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.8462.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on VALE shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $18.00 price target on shares of Vale in a report on Friday, May 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Vale from $19.50 to $21.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Vale from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank set a $19.00 price target on shares of Vale in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Vale from $12.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 27th.

Vale Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:VALE opened at $15.09 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $16.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.59. Vale has a 52 week low of $9.36 and a 52 week high of $17.94. The company has a quick ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of $68.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.52 and a beta of 0.46.

Vale (NYSE:VALE) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The basic materials company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.08). Vale had a net margin of 7.21% and a return on equity of 21.10%. The firm had revenue of $9.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.53 billion. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vale will post 2.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Sobrinho Sami Arap acquired 12,990 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.11 per share, for a total transaction of $209,268.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 12,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $209,268.90. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Parenti Grazielle Tallia acquired 10,464 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $16.11 per share, for a total transaction of $168,575.04. Following the transaction, the insider owned 10,464 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $168,575.04. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VALE. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Vale by 4.9% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 79,400 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $792,000 after buying an additional 3,704 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its position in Vale by 46.6% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 37,613 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $375,000 after acquiring an additional 11,964 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Vale in the first quarter worth approximately $171,000. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Vale in the first quarter worth approximately $117,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vale in the 2nd quarter worth $123,000. Institutional investors own 21.85% of the company’s stock.

About Vale

Vale SA is a Brazilian multinational mining company and one of the world’s largest producers of iron ore and iron ore pellets. In addition to iron ore, the company produces and sells a range of bulk commodities and metals, including nickel, copper, coal, manganese, ferroalloys and cobalt, and it participates in the fertilizer inputs market. Vale also operates extensive logistics assets — including rail, port and maritime logistics — that support its mining and export activities and provide services to third parties in some regions.

Headquartered in Brazil, Vale maintains a global operational footprint with mining, processing and shipping activities across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.