Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyVail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN – Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of “Hold” from the fourteen ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have given a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $165.00.
MTN has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $172.00 to $156.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vail Resorts from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $151.00 to $147.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $140.00 to $138.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $175.00 to $172.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Vail Resorts
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Vail Resorts news, CEO Robert A. Katz bought 37,500 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $131.81 per share, for a total transaction of $4,942,875.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 285,312 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,606,974.72. The trade was a 15.13% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Angela A. Korch bought 190 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $131.85 per share, for a total transaction of $25,051.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,539 shares in the company, valued at $730,317.15. The trade was a 3.55% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vail Resorts
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of MTN. Clearstead Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 21.5% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 424 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 17,552 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,625,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. grew its stake in Vail Resorts by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 6,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,032,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC grew its stake in Vail Resorts by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $557,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Provident Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Vail Resorts by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,821 shares of the company’s stock valued at $871,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. 94.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Vail Resorts Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE MTN opened at $144.26 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $137.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a PE ratio of 23.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.12 and a beta of 0.78. Vail Resorts has a 52 week low of $126.15 and a 52 week high of $175.51.
Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.06 by ($0.19). Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 29.72% and a net margin of 7.89%.The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.56 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Vail Resorts will post 7.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 26th will be paid a $2.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 26th. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Vail Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is currently 144.86%.
Vail Resorts News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Vail Resorts this week:
- Positive Sentiment: CEO Robert A. Katz purchased 37,500 shares (~$4.94M), a sizable open‑market buy that increases his holding ~15% and is being read by the market as a strong signal of insider confidence. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: CFO Angela Korch also bought shares (190 shares, ~$25k), a smaller but confirmatory insider purchase that adds to the narrative of management conviction. Read More.
- Positive Sentiment: Vail announced a multi‑year roll‑out to bring the My Epic Gear experience to all rentals (expanded choice, premium boot tech, and removal of the My Epic Gear fee), a consumer-facing initiative that should support rental revenue and customer retention over time. Read More.
- Neutral Sentiment: The analyst picture is mixed — MarketBeat consensus rates MTN as a Hold with a $165 average target and a range of Buy/Hold/Sell opinions — providing a neutral backdrop versus the immediate insider-driven move. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Recent Q3 results showed an EPS and revenue miss and year‑over‑year revenue decline, reinforcing concerns about a warm winter’s impact on near‑term profitability. Read More.
- Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target and materially lowered 2026 EPS estimates citing weak conditions in the Rockies, a proximate reason some investors remain cautious despite insider buys. Read More.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc is a leading mountain resort company that owns and operates an integrated network of ski areas, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. The company’s signature Epic Pass program offers skiers and snowboarders season‐long access to its portfolio of resorts, while ancillary services such as ski and snowboard schools, equipment rental and retail drive additional revenue.
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Vail Resorts was formed in 1997, building on the legacy of Vail Associates, which opened the Vail ski area in 1962.