Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Hits New 12-Month Low – Should You Sell?
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyVital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL – Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week low on Monday . The company traded as low as $16.77 and last traded at $16.91, with a volume of 664819 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.21.
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $45.00 to $35.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on Vital Farms from $50.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut Vital Farms from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $24.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Friday, February 27th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vital Farms presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.00.
Read Our Latest Analysis on VITL
Vital Farms Stock Down 3.0%
The firm has a market cap of $748.16 million, a PE ratio of 11.61 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $25.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $33.79.
Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.03). Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.73% and a return on equity of 20.69%. The company had revenue of $213.55 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $212.83 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.23 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.
Insider Transactions at Vital Farms
In related news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.85, for a total transaction of $771,250.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 6,361,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $196,242,711.50. This represents a 0.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Karl Khoury bought 5,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $18.45 per share, for a total transaction of $92,250.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 119,789 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,210,107.05. This represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 65,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,736,050. Corporate insiders own 21.30% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms
Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 89.2% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 19,381 shares of the company’s stock worth $591,000 after purchasing an additional 9,136 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in Vital Farms by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 20,057 shares of the company’s stock worth $611,000 after buying an additional 1,108 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vital Farms by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 415,420 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,658,000 after acquiring an additional 13,397 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Vital Farms during the 1st quarter worth about $1,073,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 89,893 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,739,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares during the last quarter. 98.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
About Vital Farms
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.