Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.8182.

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Vital Farms from $35.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $48.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $52.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. DA Davidson set a $47.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Vital Farms from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd.

Vital Farms Stock Up 1.0%

VITL stock opened at $13.14 on Friday. Vital Farms has a fifty-two week low of $12.80 and a fifty-two week high of $53.13. The company has a market capitalization of $588.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.13 and a beta of 1.14. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $22.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.16.

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

Trending Headlines about Vital Farms

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

• Positive Sentiment: Two sell‑side firms cut price targets but kept bullish ratings (Needham lowered its target to $20 with a “buy”; Telsey cut its target to $26 with an “outperform”), signaling continued analyst conviction that there is upside from current levels. Benzinga note on price target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and valuation context: VITL trades at a low P/E (~9x) with minimal debt (debt/equity ~0.01), which can support recovery if operational trends improve. (Background market data)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple securities class‑action filings and investor notices were announced this week (Rosen Law Firm, Robbins LLP and related alerts), alleging Vital Farms made materially misleading statements and seeking damages for purchases from May 8, 2025 through Feb 26, 2026; Rosen’s notice sets a lead‑plaintiff motion deadline of May 26, 2026 — a clear near‑term legal overhang. Rosen Law Firm filing Business Wire Rosen alert Robbins LLP notice
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price action shows notable weakness (a larger drop was reported on 3/26), underscoring market sensitivity to the legal headlines and recent operating/earnings signals. Zacks price‑action note

Insider Activity at Vital Farms

In other news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.85, for a total value of $771,250.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 6,361,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $196,242,711.50. The trade was a 0.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Karl Khoury purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of $18.45 per share, for a total transaction of $92,250.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 119,789 shares in the company, valued at $2,210,107.05. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 65,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,736,050 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 21.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 0.4% in the third quarter. Campbell Newman Asset Management Inc. now owns 68,724 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,828,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Granite Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Vital Farms by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Granite Investment Partners LLC now owns 59,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Vital Farms by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 34,072 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,088,000 after purchasing an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in Vital Farms by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 6,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,000 after purchasing an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clean Yield Group grew its position in Vital Farms by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 65,406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,089,000 after purchasing an additional 596 shares during the last quarter. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.