Key Points
- Vital Farms director Denny Marie Post bought 3,000 shares on May 13 at $8.23 each, spending $24,690 and lifting her stake by 18.39% to 19,312 shares.
- The stock has been under pressure, opening at $8.48 and sitting near its 12-month low of $7.95, far below its 52-week high of $53.13.
- Recent earnings and analyst sentiment have been weak: Vital Farms missed EPS estimates last quarter, and several firms have cut ratings or price targets, leaving the consensus view at Hold.
Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) Director Denny Marie Post acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $8.23 per share, for a total transaction of $24,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 19,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $158,937.76. This represents a 18.39% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Vital Farms Trading Down 0.4%
Shares of NASDAQ:VITL opened at $8.48 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $13.38 and a 200 day moving average of $24.32. The company has a market cap of $363.37 million, a PE ratio of 8.15 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $7.95 and a 12-month high of $53.13.
Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.09 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $187.16 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $182.40 million. Vital Farms had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 14.47%. The company's revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Vital Farms, Inc. will post -0.45 EPS for the current year.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Craig Hallum cut shares of Vital Farms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $10.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vital Farms from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Vital Farms from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective (down from $47.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group cut shares of Vital Farms from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $11.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $27.33.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Vital Farms
More Vital Farms News
Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:
- Neutral Sentiment: Several law firms issued reminders about the upcoming May 26 lead-plaintiff deadline in the Vital Farms securities class action, keeping legal risk in focus for shareholders.
- Negative Sentiment: The repeated class-action notices may pressure Vital Farms shares by highlighting alleged securities-law violations and extending uncertainty around the company’s outlook.
- Negative Sentiment: Investor attention remains on the company’s recent earnings miss, which likely compounds the negative reaction to the litigation headlines.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Vital Farms by 225.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Vital Farms during the third quarter valued at about $55,000. 98.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Vital Farms
(
Get Free Report)
Vital Farms, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol VITL, is a U.S.-based food company specializing in pasture-raised egg and dairy products. The company partners with a network of family farms across the United States to produce eggs, butter and related items under a certified humane, pasture-centric farming model. Vital Farms' supply chain emphasizes animal welfare, environmental stewardship and transparent sourcing, appealing to consumers seeking ethically produced, high-quality ingredients.
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Vital Farms began by marketing pasture-raised eggs to health- and ethically minded shoppers.
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