VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Hits New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Shares of VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday. The company traded as low as $152.34 and last traded at $156.0360, with a volume of 103,079 shares. The stock had previously closed at $158.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently commented on VSEC. B. Riley Financial reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of VSE in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of VSE in a research note on Sunday, August 9th. Guggenheim started coverage on VSE in a research report on Monday, September 14th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on VSE from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating on shares of VSE in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $258.12.

VSE Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $194.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $196.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.59, a PEG ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 3.77.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The construction company reported $1.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.82. The firm had revenue of $449.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $425.03 million. VSE had a net margin of 6.17% and a return on equity of 6.71%. The firm’s revenue was up 65.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that VSE Corporation will post 6.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 15th will be issued a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 15th. VSE’s payout ratio is 12.82%.

Insider Activity at VSE

In related news, CEO John Cuomo sold 1,566 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $187.49, for a total transaction of $293,609.34. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 167,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,492,882.79. This trade represents a 0.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On VSE

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of VSE during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in VSE during the second quarter valued at $29,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in VSE during the second quarter valued at $32,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in VSE during the second quarter valued at $51,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in VSE by 89.0% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 276 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.54% of the company’s stock.

About VSE

VSE Corporation is a diversified provider of aftermarket distribution, maintenance, repair, engineering and logistics services. The company serves U.S. government agencies, defense organizations and commercial customers through specialized operating businesses focused on aviation, fleet management and federal services.

VSE Aviation distributes aircraft parts and related products and provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for engines, components and other aviation systems. Its Fleet segment supports vehicle lifecycle management by supplying parts and providing maintenance, engineering and logistics services for government and commercial fleets.