Vail Resorts Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) was the target of unusually large options trading on Friday. Traders acquired 2,724 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 63% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,667 call options.

Vail Resorts Trading Up 4.5%

NYSE MTN opened at $161.74 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $146.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $152.60. The company has a market capitalization of $5.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.52, a current ratio of 0.54 and a quick ratio of 0.56. Vail Resorts has a 12 month low of $129.85 and a 12 month high of $194.47.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The company reported ($5.20) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($5.23) by $0.03. Vail Resorts had a net margin of 8.94% and a return on equity of 32.51%. The company had revenue of $271.03 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $273.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($4.61) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Vail Resorts will post 7.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 30th will be issued a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 30th. Vail Resorts’s payout ratio is presently 130.21%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Angela A. Korch acquired 210 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $155.00 per share, for a total transaction of $32,550.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 4,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $760,275. This represents a 4.47% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd acquired a new stake in Vail Resorts during the third quarter valued at approximately $250,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 23.4% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,761 shares of the company’s stock valued at $263,000 after buying an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vail Resorts in the third quarter valued at $265,000. Sunbelt Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 38.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 525 shares of the company’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts during the 3rd quarter worth $3,467,000. 94.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MTN has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Vail Resorts from $244.00 to $237.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. Zacks Research upgraded Vail Resorts from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $168.00 to $172.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $175.00 target price (down previously from $180.00) on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $176.50.

About Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates mountain resorts and regional ski areas in the United States. It operates through three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates 41 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas. This segment is also involved in the ancillary activities, including ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations, as well as real estate brokerage activities.