Vermilion Energy (NYSE:VET) Shares Down 2.4% – Time to Sell?

Vermilion Energy Inc. (NYSE:VET) (TSE:VET)’s share price traded down 2.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $8.87 and last traded at $8.90. 326,283 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 72% from the average session volume of 1,149,358 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.12.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Vermilion Energy from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 4th.

Vermilion Energy Stock Down 0.3 %

The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $9.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.25 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The company has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.39 and a beta of 1.99.

Vermilion Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a $0.089 dividend. This is an increase from Vermilion Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.09. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.99%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. Vermilion Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -9.36%.

Institutional Trading of Vermilion Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 34.5% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 5,484,654 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $60,359,000 after buying an additional 1,405,653 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP acquired a new position in Vermilion Energy during the third quarter worth about $6,001,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 345.4% in the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 592,839 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,790,000 after purchasing an additional 459,746 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its position in shares of Vermilion Energy by 72.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 1,040,076 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $10,162,000 after purchasing an additional 438,200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PDT Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Vermilion Energy by 286.6% during the 3rd quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 280,562 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,741,000 after purchasing an additional 207,981 shares in the last quarter. 31.91% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vermilion Energy

Vermilion Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas. The company has properties in West Central Alberta, southeast Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and West Pembina in Canada; Wyoming in the United States; southwest Bordeaux and Paris Basin in France; the Netherlands; Germany; Ireland; Croatia; Slovakia; and Australia.