Vertex Energy (NASDAQ:VTNR – Get Rating) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com to a "sell" rating in a research note issued on Thursday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Vertex Energy from $14.00 to $20.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 8th. HC Wainwright reduced their price objective on Vertex Energy from $25.00 to $15.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 10th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on Vertex Energy to $21.50 in a report on Thursday, June 9th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut Vertex Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $18.50.

Vertex Energy Stock Down 3.6 %

Shares of VTNR stock opened at $6.21 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $9.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $10.44. Vertex Energy has a 1 year low of $3.30 and a 1 year high of $18.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.27.

Insider Transactions at Vertex Energy

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vertex Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTNR. Brown Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Vertex Energy during the second quarter valued at about $143,000. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Energy in the second quarter worth about $414,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Energy in the second quarter worth about $60,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex Energy in the second quarter worth about $115,000. Finally, CastleKnight Management LP boosted its position in shares of Vertex Energy by 41.2% in the second quarter. CastleKnight Management LP now owns 470,900 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $4,954,000 after buying an additional 137,300 shares during the period. 62.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vertex Energy Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Vertex Energy, Inc, an environmental services company, provides a range of services designed to aggregate, process, and recycle industrial and commercial waste systems in the Gulf Coast and Central Midwest regions of the United States. The company operates through Black Oil, Refining and Marketing, and Recovery segments.

Featured Articles

• Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Vertex Energy (VTNR)
• The Worst May be Over for Target, But is the Stock Safe to Buy?
• Are These Liquid Natural Gas Stocks Ready For An Upside Bounce?
• Two Fun Stocks The Insiders Are Buying
• Novavax Remains a Risk-On Stock in a Risk-Off Market
• 3 Defensive Stocks With 60-Year Dividend Hike Streaks

Receive News & Ratings for Vertex Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vertex Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.