VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

VSE Corporation (NASDAQ:VSEC)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $233.00 and last traded at $232.23, with a volume of 54210 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $228.50.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of VSE in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $268.00 target price on shares of VSE in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on VSE in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $245.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research downgraded VSE from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of VSE in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, VSE currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $239.78.

VSE Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 6.24 and a current ratio of 8.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.51 billion, a PE ratio of 98.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.25. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $189.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $195.55.

VSE (NASDAQ:VSEC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The construction company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $324.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $309.19 million. VSE had a return on equity of 6.56% and a net margin of 4.95%.VSE’s quarterly revenue was up 26.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.78 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that VSE Corporation will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

VSE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 29th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 15th. VSE’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.88%.

Insider Activity

In related news, COO Benjamin E. Thomas sold 6,500 shares of VSE stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $196.82, for a total value of $1,279,330.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 42,839 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,431,571.98. This trade represents a 13.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On VSE

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of VSE by 145.7% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 258 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of VSE during the 1st quarter worth about $247,000. Ellevest Inc. acquired a new position in shares of VSE during the 4th quarter worth about $323,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in VSE by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,207 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $381,000 after buying an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its stake in VSE by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 5,600 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $968,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares in the last quarter. 91.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

VSE Company Profile

VSE Corporation (NASDAQ: VSEC) is a provider of aftermarket distribution and supply chain management services serving both government and commercial markets. The company’s solutions span a wide range of industries, with particular emphasis on defense, aerospace and transportation. VSE’s core mission is to ensure mission readiness by delivering critical parts, maintenance and technical support for equipment throughout its lifecycle.

Through its Distribution Services segment, VSE sources, markets and distributes replacement parts and components for commercial truck, bus, rail and specialty vehicle applications.