BMO Capital Markets Has Lowered Expectations for Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Stock Price

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) had its target price decreased by research analysts at BMO Capital Markets from $60.00 to $50.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets’ price objective would indicate a potential upside of 49.79% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on VITL. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday. DA Davidson set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $53.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Friday, December 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $45.00 target price for the company. Finally, Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vital Farms has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $49.91.

Vital Farms Stock Performance

Shares of VITL stock opened at $33.38 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The company has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29 and a beta of 1.06. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $34.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.96. Vital Farms has a 52 week low of $28.87 and a 52 week high of $53.13.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.30 by $0.06. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The firm had revenue of $198.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $191.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.16 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 37.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Vital Farms will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Farms

In other Vital Farms news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.25, for a total transaction of $176,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,386,190 shares in the company, valued at $225,113,197.50. This represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 649,684 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,771,424.20. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 86,401 shares of company stock worth $3,008,045 over the last ninety days. 21.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VITL. Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 63,600 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,938,000 after acquiring an additional 4,300 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vital Farms by 9.2% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 35,630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 3,007 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Vital Farms by 27.5% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 145,137 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,422,000 after buying an additional 31,329 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 1,453.0% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,243,467 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,888,000 after buying an additional 1,163,399 shares during the period. Finally, Cresset Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Vital Farms in the first quarter worth about $786,000. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Key Stores Impacting Vital Farms

Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating, adding institutional support that can help buoy the stock. Telsey Reaffirms Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson and Needham both maintained “buy” recommendations, keeping sell‑side sentiment tilted positive despite volatility. DA Davidson Buy Needham Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and research notes highlight long‑term growth potential (brand strength, pricing power in premium egg/butter categories), which supports medium‑to‑longer‑term investor thesis. Seeking Alpha: Long‑Term Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Options implied volatility is surging, signaling traders expect a larger near‑term price move — raises hedging and trading activity but is direction‑agnostic. IV Surge Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media pieces are assessing valuation after recent volatility, useful for investors reviewing entry points and risk/reward but not an immediate catalyst. Valuation Assessment
• Negative Sentiment: Vital Farms trimmed FY25 revenue guidance to $755M–$765M (from at least $775M), a clear near‑term negative that likely pressures the stock until guidance proves conservative. Revenue Cut
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target from $59 to $44 (still a “buy”) — a notable downward revision that narrows upside expectations. TD Cowen PT Cut (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: BMO cut its target from $60 to $50 (keeps “outperform”), another trimmed target that tempers analyst-driven upside. BMO PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling (Matthew Ohayer sold ~5,000 shares, part of a series of sales) adds to near‑term negative optics, though the stake change is small as a percentage of holdings. Insider Sale

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.