Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Director Andrew Meslow Acquires 24,926 Shares

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) Director Andrew Meslow bought 24,926 shares of Vera Bradley stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $3.73 per share, for a total transaction of $92,973.98. Following the acquisition, the director owned 650,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,424,500. This represents a 3.99% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Vera Bradley Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of VRA stock traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $3.59. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 492,626 shares, compared to its average volume of 660,249. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $3.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.04. The company has a market capitalization of $102.10 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.20 and a beta of 1.62. Vera Bradley, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1.39 and a fifty-two week high of $4.39.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.33) by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $55.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.12 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 6.66% and a negative net margin of 7.02%. Sell-side analysts predict that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Vera Bradley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VRA. Impala Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the 4th quarter valued at $976,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in Vera Bradley during the 1st quarter worth $916,000. Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in Vera Bradley by 133.2% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 467,127 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 266,785 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Vera Bradley by 31.6% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,038,807 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 249,161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its position in Vera Bradley by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,846,432 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,711,000 after purchasing an additional 243,900 shares during the last quarter. 59.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.