Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) Shares Cross Below 50-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Shares of Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $33.90 and traded as low as $33.29. Versant shares last traded at $33.69, with a volume of 1,996,868 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Arete Research raised Versant from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $40.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of Versant from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Versant in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Versant from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Versant from $43.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Versant has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.71.

Versant Trading Down 0.9%

The firm has a market cap of $4.59 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.68. The business has a fifty day moving average of $33.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a current ratio of 2.08.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.31. The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter. Versant had a return on equity of 8.32% and a net margin of 11.09%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Versant Corporation will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, January 4th will be given a $0.3750 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 4th. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.5%. Versant’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 43.10%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Versant

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VSNT. Citizens National Bank Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of Versant in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Mather Group LLC. raised its position in shares of Versant by 253.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 951 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 682 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Versant in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt acquired a new stake in Versant during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000.

About Versant

Versant is a media and entertainment company formed from Comcast’s separation of several NBCUniversal cable networks and digital businesses. Its portfolio includes news brands CNBC and MS NOW, along with entertainment and sports networks such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Oxygen and Golf Channel.

The company also operates digital and consumer services including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine. Through its television networks and online platforms, Versant serves audiences primarily in the United States, with some brands and services reaching international markets.

Versant’s formation followed Comcast’s plan to place many of its cable-focused properties in a separate company.