Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 746,400 shares, an increase of 24.1% from the March 31st total of 601,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 283,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.6 days. Currently, 3.4% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Vera Bradley Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of VRA stock opened at $6.78 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $6.83 and a 200-day moving average of $7.24. The firm has a market cap of $208.76 million, a PE ratio of 27.12 and a beta of 1.89. Vera Bradley has a 12 month low of $4.60 and a 12 month high of $8.35.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 13th. The textile maker reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $133.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $136.06 million. Vera Bradley had a net margin of 1.66% and a return on equity of 6.69%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vera Bradley will post 0.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Vera Bradley from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vera Bradley

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 432,989 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $2,862,000 after acquiring an additional 84,443 shares during the period. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the third quarter worth $518,000. EAM Investors LLC acquired a new stake in Vera Bradley during the third quarter worth $1,760,000. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in Vera Bradley by 94.6% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 42,532 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $282,000 after buying an additional 20,676 shares during the period. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management lifted its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 94,017 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $724,000 after acquiring an additional 20,167 shares during the period. 59.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vera Bradley Company Profile

Vera Bradley, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells women's handbags, luggage and travel items, fashion and home accessories, and gifts. It operates through three segments: Vera Bradley Direct, Vera Bradley Indirect, and Pura Vida. The company offers bag products, such as totes, crossbodies, satchels, clutches, backpacks, baby bags, and lunch bags; accessories, including ID holders, lanyards, wallets, wristlets, eyewear, scarves, hair accessories, and various technology accessories; bracelets, rings, and necklaces under Pura Vida brand name; and travel products consisting of rolling luggage, cosmetics, and travel and packing accessories, as well as travel bags comprising duffel and weekend bags.