Vital Energy downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citi

Citi analyst Paul Diamond downgraded Vital Energy (VTLE) to Neutral from Buy with a price target of $17, down from $36. The trade war and OPEC’s actions “present unique aspects to this correction” for the exploration and production companies, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm sees higher costs, and says small cap stocks are likely to take longer to recover given macro uncertainty. As such, it downgraded California Resources and Vital Energy to Neutral.