Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Trading Up 7.4% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX) rose 7.4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $12.27 and last traded at $12.3320. 250,413 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 1,847,467 shares. The stock had previously closed at $11.48.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vertex from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Vertex in a research report on Monday. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.00 target price on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $14.00 price target on shares of Vertex in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vertex from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of Vertex in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vertex has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.47.

Vertex Trading Up 2.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $12.61 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.60. The company has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a P/E ratio of -257.00 and a beta of 0.83.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.01. Vertex had a negative net margin of 0.84% and a positive return on equity of 26.04%. The business had revenue of $196.65 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $194.82 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Vertex, Inc. will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VERX. Global Retirement Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vertex in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex during the 4th quarter worth $45,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Vertex during the second quarter valued at about $54,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Vertex by 36.9% during the fourth quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 895 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its holdings in Vertex by 49.1% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 1,376 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.32% of the company’s stock.

About Vertex

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.