Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) Sees Large Volume Increase – Should You Buy?

Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR) saw an uptick in trading volume on Friday . 1,231,397 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 19% from the previous session’s volume of 1,517,949 shares.The stock last traded at $14.99 and had previously closed at $14.96.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VGR. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Vector Group in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on Vector Group from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th.

Vector Group Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.36 billion, a PE ratio of 12.92 and a beta of 1.04. The company’s fifty day moving average is $14.37 and its 200-day moving average is $12.02.

Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.04. Vector Group had a negative return on equity of 26.96% and a net margin of 14.05%. The business had revenue of $371.91 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $362.90 million. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vector Group Ltd. will post 1.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vector Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 30th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 30th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.33%. Vector Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 68.97%.

Institutional Trading of Vector Group

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Vector Group during the second quarter worth $59,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Vector Group by 252.3% during the second quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 6,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 4,325 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its holdings in shares of Vector Group by 112.6% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110 shares during the last quarter. Somerset Trust Co bought a new stake in Vector Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $110,000. Finally, SpiderRock Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vector Group during the 1st quarter worth $112,000. 64.09% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vector Group Company Profile

Vector Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates in two segments, Tobacco and Real Estate. The company produces cigarettes under the Montego, EAGLE 20’s, Pyramid, Grand Prix, Liggett Select, Eve, and USA brand names, as well as various partner and private label brands.