VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Reaches New 52-Week High – Time to Buy?

VSE Co. (NASDAQ:VSEC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $136.00 and last traded at $131.44, with a volume of 548564 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $129.14.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VSEC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. B. Riley lifted their target price on VSE from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. StockNews.com raised VSE to a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Truist Financial upped their price target on VSE from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of VSE from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, VSE currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $125.17.

VSE Trading Down 1.4%

The business has a 50-day moving average of $116.93 and a 200-day moving average of $109.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 163.38 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.53, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 3.69.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The construction company reported $0.78 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $256.05 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $248.20 million. VSE had a return on equity of 7.26% and a net margin of 1.36%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 57.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.45 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that VSE Co. will post 2.96 EPS for the current year.

VSE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 16th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 16th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.31%. VSE’s dividend payout ratio is presently 50.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Anita D. Britt sold 2,869 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.38, for a total transaction of $371,191.22. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $496,431.06. This trade represents a 42.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 14.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of VSE

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of VSE by 25.2% in the first quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,537,378 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $304,460,000 after purchasing an additional 511,214 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors grew its position in VSE by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 1,794,069 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $170,616,000 after buying an additional 258,674 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of VSE by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,081,004 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $129,710,000 after buying an additional 9,459 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of VSE by 48.5% in the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,063,832 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $127,654,000 after buying an additional 347,664 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of VSE by 12.7% in the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 928,617 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $88,311,000 after buying an additional 104,868 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About VSE

VSE Corporation operates as a diversified aftermarket products and services company in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Aviation and Fleet. The Aviation segment provides aftermarket parts supply and distribution; maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for components and engine accessories supporting commercial, business, and general aviation operators.