Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) Trading Down 4.9%

Shares of Vital Energy, Inc. (NYSE:VTLE) traded down 4.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $28.05 and last traded at $28.08. 431,183 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 52% from the average session volume of 890,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on VTLE shares. Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of Vital Energy in a report on Friday, June 14th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Vital Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Vital Energy from $52.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. KeyCorp lowered Vital Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a report on Friday, August 16th. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Vital Energy from $69.00 to $66.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vital Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.45.

Vital Energy Stock Up 3.4 %

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.29 and its 200 day simple moving average is $44.38. The company has a market cap of $989.82 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 3.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.88 by ($0.42). Vital Energy had a net margin of 13.97% and a return on equity of 11.58%. The company had revenue of $476.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $468.76 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.35 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Vital Energy, Inc. will post 6.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vital Energy

In related news, CEO M. Jason Pigott purchased 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $37.85 per share, with a total value of $94,625.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 169,389 shares in the company, valued at $6,411,373.65. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Energy

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Vital Energy by 52.8% during the fourth quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 113,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,156,000 after acquiring an additional 39,147 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Vital Energy by 29.3% during the first quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 207,705 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,913,000 after buying an additional 47,100 shares in the last quarter. Pinnacle Holdings LLC bought a new position in Vital Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $826,000. Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Vital Energy by 56.9% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 52,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,404,000 after acquiring an additional 19,165 shares during the period. Finally, DRW Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Vital Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $1,729,000. 86.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vital Energy

Vital Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc in January 2023.