Telsey Advisory Group Cuts Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Price Target to $35.00

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) had its price target reduced by Telsey Advisory Group from $50.00 to $35.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Telsey Advisory Group currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on VITL. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Friday, January 30th. Zacks Research cut shares of Vital Farms from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, November 14th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.64.

Vital Farms Stock Down 4.6%

VITL opened at $21.09 on Friday. Vital Farms has a 12 month low of $19.80 and a 12 month high of $53.13. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $28.60 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.98. The company has a market cap of $944.83 million, a P/E ratio of 14.65 and a beta of 1.14.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.38 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $213.55 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.83 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 20.69% and a net margin of 8.73%.Vital Farms’s revenue was up 28.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.23 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Vital Farms will post 1.11 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vital Farms

In other news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.91, for a total value of $558,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 6,341,190 shares in the company, valued at $176,982,612.90. This trade represents a 0.31% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $586,526.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $22,771,424.20. This represents a 2.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 66,734 shares of company stock worth $2,092,227. Insiders own 21.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vital Farms

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Vital Farms by 22.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,845,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $90,892,000 after buying an additional 530,008 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 13.7% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,687,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,831,000 after acquiring an additional 324,725 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Vital Farms by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,047,955 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,412,000 after acquiring an additional 26,150 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in Vital Farms by 35.7% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,687,869 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,017,000 after acquiring an additional 444,402 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Vital Farms by 10.4% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,520,471 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,564,000 after acquiring an additional 142,790 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Key Vital Farms News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue growth and top‑line clarity — Revenue rose ~28.6% year‑over‑year and Q4 revenue came in essentially inline with expectations, showing continued demand and scale benefits. This supports the company’s growth story even though EPS missed. MarketBeat / Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Board leadership transition — Founder Matt O’Hayer stepped down as Executive Chair; CEO Russell Diez‑Canseco was named Executive Chair to maintain continuity. This reduces governance uncertainty short‑term but is unlikely to change fundamentals immediately. Business Wire
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and mixed guidance reaction — Q4 EPS of $0.35 missed the $0.38 consensus (revenues roughly inline). Several outlets highlight the profit shortfall and guidance interpretation that disappointed some investors, which directly pressured the stock. Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Securities‑class investigation announced — The Rosen Law Firm has opened an investigation alleging Vital Farms may have provided materially misleading information to investors. Such filings often increase short‑term selling pressure and can raise legal risk and potential future costs. GlobeNewswire
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst revisions and target cuts — Multiple firms updated coverage: Benchmark downgraded to “hold,” Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target to $24 (from $45), and Telsey cut its target to $35 while keeping an outperform stance. These moves reduce near‑term upside expectations and can amplify selling. Benzinga

About Vital Farms

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.