Confluence Investment Management LLC Trims Holdings in Vail Resorts, Inc. $MTN

Confluence Investment Management LLC reduced its position in shares of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) by 24.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 41,355 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,200 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Vail Resorts were worth $5,492,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of MTN. BOKF NA raised its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 833.3% in the third quarter. BOKF NA now owns 168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Vail Resorts by 815.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. NBT Bank N A NY boosted its position in Vail Resorts by 450.0% during the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 176 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 94.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Vail Resorts from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group raised Vail Resorts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $159.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Barclays dropped their target price on Vail Resorts from $140.00 to $138.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Vail Resorts from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $202.00 to $200.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.00.

Vail Resorts Trading Down 2.8%

NYSE MTN opened at $131.98 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.53, a PEG ratio of 9.35 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 0.62. Vail Resorts, Inc. has a one year low of $126.15 and a one year high of $175.51. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $137.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $143.59.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.06 by ($0.19). Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 29.72% and a net margin of 7.89%.The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.56 earnings per share. Vail Resorts’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 EPS for the current year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th will be given a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 26th. Vail Resorts’s dividend payout ratio is 144.86%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Angela A. Korch purchased 190 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $131.85 per share, for a total transaction of $25,051.50. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 5,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $730,317.15. This trade represents a 3.55% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert A. Katz acquired 37,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $131.81 per share, for a total transaction of $4,942,875.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 285,312 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,606,974.72. This trade represents a 15.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Vail Resorts Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc is a leading mountain resort company that owns and operates an integrated network of ski areas, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. The company’s signature Epic Pass program offers skiers and snowboarders season‐long access to its portfolio of resorts, while ancillary services such as ski and snowboard schools, equipment rental and retail drive additional revenue.

Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Vail Resorts was formed in 1997, building on the legacy of Vail Associates, which opened the Vail ski area in 1962.