Vaalco Energy (NYSE:EGY) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of Vaalco Energy Inc (NYSE:EGY) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $4.00 and traded as high as $5.25. Vaalco Energy shares last traded at $5.1940, with a volume of 970,984 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EGY has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Vaalco Energy from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Vaalco Energy from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Loop Capital set a $7.30 target price on shares of Vaalco Energy in a report on Friday, January 16th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Vaalco Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $7.30.

Vaalco Energy Stock Up 3.1%

The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24. The stock has a market cap of $541.53 million, a P/E ratio of 19.24 and a beta of 0.27. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $4.34 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.00.

Vaalco Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Vaalco Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 92.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vaalco Energy

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in EGY. CSM Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vaalco Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $6,608,000. UBS Group AG lifted its position in shares of Vaalco Energy by 154.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,326,729 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $4,829,000 after acquiring an additional 806,283 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new stake in shares of Vaalco Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,770,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vaalco Energy by 228.0% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 744,296 shares of the energy company’s stock worth $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 517,368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of Vaalco Energy in the fourth quarter worth $1,638,000. 50.32% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vaalco Energy Company Profile

Vaalco Energy, Inc is an independent energy company principally engaged in the exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vaalco concentrates on offshore assets in West Africa, with a strategic emphasis on maintaining and optimizing cash-flow–generating properties. Founded in the mid-1980s, the company has built its reputation by focusing on high-impact drilling prospects and extending the productive life of its core fields through targeted infill wells and enhanced recovery techniques.

The company’s primary producing asset is the Etame Marin block offshore Gabon, where Vaalco holds a majority interest and serves as operator.