Janus Henderson Group PLC Sells 739,365 Shares of Vertex, Inc. $VERX

Janus Henderson Group PLC trimmed its stake in Vertex, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERX) by 95.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 37,027 shares of the company’s stock after selling 739,365 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Vertex were worth $440,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Vertex in the 2nd quarter worth $54,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in Vertex during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Vertex by 25.7% in the first quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,933 shares of the company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Vertex in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vertex by 49.1% in the fourth quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 4,180 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 1,376 shares during the period. 70.32% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on VERX shares. TD Cowen started coverage on Vertex in a research report on Monday, June 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.00 price objective on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group set a $14.00 target price on shares of Vertex in a report on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of Vertex from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vertex in a report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Vertex from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.43.

Vertex Trading Up 1.7%

Vertex stock opened at $12.14 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 607.30 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.87. Vertex, Inc. has a 1 year low of $10.21 and a 1 year high of $26.63. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $12.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.21.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $203.97 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $202.21 million. Vertex had a net margin of 0.45% and a return on equity of 29.00%. Vertex’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.15 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Vertex, Inc. will post 0.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Vertex

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.