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.
Get Vertex Energy alerts: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
In other news, CEO Benjamin P. Cowart sold 71,133 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.08, for a total value of $574,754.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 333,986 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,698,606.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Benjamin P. Cowart sold 71,133 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.08, for a total value of $574,754.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 333,986 shares in the company, valued at $2,698,606.88. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Benjamin P. Cowart sold 71,132 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.33, for a total value of $805,925.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 476,252 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,395,935.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 213,398 shares of company stock valued at $2,119,041 over the last three months. 16.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.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.