Values First Advisors Inc. Purchases 38,296 Shares of VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY)

Values First Advisors Inc. boosted its position in VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE:EGY) by 9.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 442,826 shares of the energy company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,296 shares during the period. VAALCO Energy makes up approximately 1.2% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Values First Advisors Inc. owned approximately 0.42% of VAALCO Energy worth $1,988,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its stake in shares of VAALCO Energy by 16.0% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,358,016 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $31,426,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151,028 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in VAALCO Energy by 0.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,666,535 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $24,876,000 after buying an additional 26,551 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in VAALCO Energy by 10.9% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,606,958 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $17,322,000 after buying an additional 454,590 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in VAALCO Energy by 122.3% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,701,191 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $12,317,000 after buying an additional 1,486,093 shares during the period. Finally, Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS increased its holdings in VAALCO Energy by 3.8% during the third quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 2,196,895 shares of the energy company’s stock valued at $9,644,000 after buying an additional 79,755 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 50.32% of the company’s stock.

VAALCO Energy Stock Up 1.5 %

NYSE EGY traded up $0.10 on Friday, hitting $6.97. The stock had a trading volume of 1,539,971 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,732,873. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $4.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.77. VAALCO Energy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $3.51 and a 52-week high of $7.05. The stock has a market cap of $719.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.43 and a beta of 1.23.

VAALCO Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.063 dividend. This is a positive change from VAALCO Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 7th. VAALCO Energy’s payout ratio is currently 44.64%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of VAALCO Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 23rd.

VAALCO Energy Company Profile

VAALCO Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Gabon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and Canada. The company holds 58.8% interest in the Etame production sharing contract related to the Etame Marin block covering an area of approximately 46,200 gross acres located offshore in the Republic of Gabon in West Africa.