Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $27.3333.

Several research analysts have issued reports on VITL shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Vital Farms from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vital Farms from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley set a $10.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $16.00 price target (down from $47.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Monday, May 4th.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Joseph Michael Holland acquired 12,484 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $8.00 per share, for a total transaction of $99,872.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 38,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $305,200. This trade represents a 48.64% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Peter Nicholas Pappas acquired 3,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.51 per share, for a total transaction of $29,785.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 85,169 shares in the company, valued at approximately $724,788.19. This represents a 4.29% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 38,700 shares of company stock valued at $320,864. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vital Farms

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in Vital Farms by 225.6% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. 98.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vital Farms Trading Up 0.6%

Vital Farms stock opened at $10.54 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.77. The firm has a market cap of $451.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.13 and a beta of 1.09. Vital Farms has a 1 year low of $7.95 and a 1 year high of $53.13. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $11.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.25.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $187.16 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $182.40 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 6.10%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Vital Farms will post -0.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.