Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) Given New $23.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) had its price target decreased by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $34.00 to $23.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an underweight rating on the stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on VTLE. Siebert Williams Shank lowered Vital Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $62.00 to $27.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Vital Energy from $32.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Vital Energy from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Vital Energy from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 14th. Finally, Williams Trading set a $27.00 price target on shares of Vital Energy in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.46.

Vital Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VTLE opened at $19.98 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $761.58 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.21 and a beta of 3.07. Vital Energy has a 52 week low of $19.97 and a 52 week high of $58.30.

Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The company reported $2.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.03 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $534.37 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $550.90 million. Vital Energy had a negative net margin of 8.89% and a positive return on equity of 9.48%. On average, equities analysts predict that Vital Energy will post 8.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Energy

In other news, COO Kathryn Anne Hill sold 5,673 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.73, for a total value of $117,601.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 46,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $962,141.49. This trade represents a 10.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark David Denny sold 5,974 shares of Vital Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.73, for a total transaction of $123,841.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 42,494 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $880,900.62. This trade represents a 12.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,647 shares of company stock valued at $448,742 over the last quarter. 1.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vital Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VTLE. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $39,392,000. Condire Management LP purchased a new stake in Vital Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $19,066,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new stake in Vital Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $15,995,000. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Vital Energy by 14.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,755,173 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,214,000 after buying an additional 220,871 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Vital Energy by 124.0% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 338,675 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,110,000 after buying an additional 187,503 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.54% of the company’s stock.

Vital Energy Company Profile

Vital Energy, Inc, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc in January 2023.