Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY)

VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) was the target of some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock investors bought 6,034 call options on the company. This is an increase of 924% compared to the typical volume of 589 call options.

VAALCO Energy Stock Performance

Shares of EGY stock traded down $0.23 during trading on Monday, hitting $4.11. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 525,049 shares, compared to its average volume of 974,222. The company has a market cap of $431.41 million, a PE ratio of 4.83 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The business has a fifty day moving average of $4.23 and a 200-day moving average of $4.99. VAALCO Energy has a 52 week low of $3.57 and a 52 week high of $7.51.

VAALCO Energy (NYSE:EGY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 13th. The energy company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.05 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $121.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $108.91 million. VAALCO Energy had a net margin of 17.93% and a return on equity of 15.63%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that VAALCO Energy will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current year.

VAALCO Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.09%. VAALCO Energy’s payout ratio is currently 29.41%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy by 362.2% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 48,965 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 38,372 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of VAALCO Energy by 8.3% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 107,623 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $618,000 after purchasing an additional 8,209 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of VAALCO Energy by 5.4% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 516,736 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,966,000 after purchasing an additional 26,264 shares during the period. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy during the third quarter worth about $1,676,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of VAALCO Energy during the third quarter worth about $173,000. Institutional investors own 50.32% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised VAALCO Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday.

VAALCO Energy Company Profile

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.