Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Stock Price Down 7.1% – Here’s Why

by · The Markets Daily

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITLGet Free Report) was down 7.1% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $26.65 and last traded at $27.1850. Approximately 1,561,168 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 32% from the average daily volume of 1,185,923 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.25.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VITL. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Vital Farms from $59.00 to $44.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $52.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.91.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on VITL

Vital Farms Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average price of $31.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $38.45. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.80 and a beta of 1.11.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITLGet Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The business had revenue of $198.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $191.35 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.16 EPS. Vital Farms’s revenue was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $586,526.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $22,771,424.20. This represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.85, for a total value of $771,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,361,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $196,242,711.50. This trade represents a 0.39% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 101,734 shares of company stock valued at $3,350,177. 21.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in Vital Farms by 16.5% in the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 56,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,179,000 after purchasing an additional 8,008 shares during the last quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel boosted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 36.5% in the 2nd quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 49,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,900,000 after buying an additional 13,202 shares during the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Vital Farms during the second quarter valued at about $7,665,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Vital Farms by 2.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 807,003 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,089,000 after buying an additional 18,682 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in Vital Farms by 206.5% during the second quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 25,808 shares of the company’s stock worth $994,000 after buying an additional 17,387 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

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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