Capital Research Global Investors Cuts Stake in Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR)

Capital Research Global Investors decreased its holdings in Vector Group Ltd. (NYSE:VGR) by 43.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 4,670,368 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,636,693 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors’ holdings in Vector Group were worth $51,187,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VGR. SpiderRock Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Vector Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $112,000. Private Portfolio Partners LLC purchased a new position in Vector Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $113,000. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Vector Group by 87.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 11,773 shares of the company’s stock valued at $129,000 after acquiring an additional 5,503 shares in the last quarter. Financial Counselors Inc. acquired a new stake in Vector Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $138,000. Finally, Foundry Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Vector Group in the first quarter valued at approximately $173,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.09% of the company’s stock.

Vector Group Stock Up 2.2 %

VGR stock traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $12.80. The company had a trading volume of 1,395,650 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,145,210. Vector Group Ltd. has a one year low of $9.27 and a one year high of $13.32. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.80. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.03 and a beta of 1.03.

Vector Group (NYSE:VGR) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.25 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $324.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $333.30 million. Vector Group had a negative return on equity of 25.89% and a net margin of 12.98%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Vector Group Ltd. will post 1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vector Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 5th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 5th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.25%. Vector Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.97%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Vector Group from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday.

Vector Group Company Profile

Vector Group Ltd., through its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes in the United States. It operates in two segments, Tobacco and Real Estate. The company produces cigarettes under the Montego, EAGLE 20's, Pyramid, Grand Prix, Liggett Select, Eve, and USA brand names, as well as various partner and private label brands.