Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on VITL. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Craig Hallum lowered shares of Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $10.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Telsey Advisory Group downgraded 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. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $15.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vital Farms currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.18.

Vital Farms Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:VITL opened at $11.56 on Monday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $11.94 and its 200 day moving average is $15.26. Vital Farms has a 1 year low of $7.95 and a 1 year high of $53.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $496.29 million, a P/E ratio of -289.00 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.60.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.47) earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of ($0.47). Vital Farms had a return on equity of 3.46% and a net margin of 0.02%.The business had revenue of $166.03 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.24 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.36 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Vital Farms will post -0.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Farms

In other Vital Farms news, insider Joseph Michael Holland purchased 12,484 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.00 per share, with a total value of $99,872.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,150 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $305,200. This represents a 48.64% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Glenda J. Flanagan acquired 6,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $8.33 per share, for a total transaction of $50,813.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 37,498 shares in the company, valued at approximately $312,358.34. The trade was a 19.43% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 35,700 shares of company stock valued at $296,174. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VITL. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Vital Farms during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Frazier Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Vital Farms by 196.7% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,367 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 2,232 shares during the period. 98.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vital Farms Company Profile

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.