Mizuho Has Lowered Expectations for Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Stock Price

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) had its price target decreased by research analysts at Mizuho from $48.00 to $40.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Mizuho’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 89.66% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on VITL. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Friday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. DA Davidson set a $47.00 price target on Vital Farms and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Benchmark cut Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.91.

Vital Farms Trading Down 4.6%

NASDAQ VITL opened at $21.09 on Monday. Vital Farms has a 12-month low of $19.80 and a 12-month high of $53.13. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $28.60 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.98. 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 stock 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $213.55 million for 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%. Vital Farms’s quarterly revenue was up 28.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.23 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Vital Farms will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Vital Farms

In other news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.91, for a total transaction of $558,200.00. Following 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 649,684 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,771,424.20. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 66,734 shares of company stock worth $2,092,227. 21.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vital Farms

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

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.