Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) Sets New 1-Year Low at $9.80

Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR) shares hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $9.80 and last traded at $9.85, with a volume of 158959 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $9.85.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VGR. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vector Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. TheStreet lowered shares of Vector Group from a “b-” rating to a “c+” rating in a report on Thursday, December 28th.

Vector Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.49 and a beta of 1.02. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $10.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.82.

Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.26 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $360.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $357.60 million. Vector Group had a net margin of 12.89% and a negative return on equity of 24.93%. As a group, analysts expect that Vector Group Ltd. will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vector Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 1st. Vector Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 68.97%.

Institutional Trading of Vector Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Range Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vector Group by 55.7% in the 1st quarter. Range Financial Group LLC now owns 35,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 12,601 shares during the period. Royal Fund Management LLC raised its position in shares of Vector Group by 6.9% in the first quarter. Royal Fund Management LLC now owns 73,002 shares of the company’s stock valued at $800,000 after buying an additional 4,701 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Vector Group by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 36,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,000 after buying an additional 2,297 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Vector Group by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 17,585,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $198,366,000 after buying an additional 74,550 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Vector Group by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 102,546 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,969 shares during the period. 64.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Vector Group

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.