Blue Trust Inc. has significantly reduced its investment in Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE), cutting its stake by 38.4% during the second quarter of 2023. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Blue Trust now holds 15,938 shares of the basic materials company after selling 9,938 shares in this period. Following this transaction, the value of Blue Trust’s holdings in Vale stood at approximately $155,000.
Several other institutional investors have also made adjustments to their positions in Vale. Thompson Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake valued at $46,000, while Verde Servicos Internacionais S.A. expanded its holdings by an impressive 389.4%, raising its total ownership to 249,600 shares worth about $2,424,000 after purchasing an additional 198,600 shares last quarter. Meanwhile, Callan Family Office LLC and Vontobel Holding Ltd. also entered new stakes, valued at approximately $357,000 and $947,000 respectively. Overall, hedge funds and other institutional investors now hold 21.85% of Vale’s stock.
Analysts Update Price Targets for Vale S.A.
Vale has attracted attention from investment analysts, prompting several revisions of price targets. Barclays recently raised its price objective for Vale from $13.70 to $13.80, maintaining an “overweight” rating. Conversely, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating. Other analysts, including Clarkson Capital and Zacks Research, provided mixed reviews, with Zacks upgrading its rating from “strong sell” to “hold”.
Currently, seven investment analysts classify Vale as a “buy,” while six have given it a “hold” rating, and one has issued a “sell” rating. According to MarketBeat, the consensus rating for Vale stock is “hold,” with an average price target set at $11.96.
Vale’s Recent Stock Performance and Dividend Announcement
On Thursday, Vale’s stock opened at $11.17. The company boasts a market capitalization of $50.68 billion and a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.08. With a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, the company shows a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Over the past year, Vale’s stock has fluctuated between a low of $8.06 and a high of $11.33.
In its latest quarterly earnings report, released on July 31, 2023, Vale reported earnings per share (EPS) of $0.50, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $0.34 by $0.16. The company achieved revenues of $8.80 billion, although this fell short of the projected $9.54 billion. Vale’s net margin stands at 14.23%, with a return on equity of 18.14%. Looking ahead, analysts forecast an EPS of 1.85 for the current fiscal year.
Recently, Vale announced a semi-annual dividend payment of $0.3417 per share, which was distributed on September 10, 2023. Shareholders of record on August 13 received this payout, reflecting a substantial yield of 740.0%. The dividend payout ratio currently sits at 59.35%.
Vale S.A., operating through its subsidiaries, is engaged in the production and sale of iron ore and iron ore pellets, critical raw materials for steelmaking, both in Brazil and internationally. The company functions through its Iron Solutions and Energy Transition Materials segments, providing a range of services and products essential to the industry.
