Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) Sees Significant Decrease in Short Interest

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 7,882,824 shares, a decline of 16.8% from the February 12th total of 9,472,602 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,026,746 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days. Approximately 22.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 22.4% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 3,026,746 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days.

Insider Transactions at Vital Farms

In other news, major shareholder Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $406,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,321,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $128,509,792.70. The trade was a 0.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Karl Khoury bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $18.45 per share, with a total value of $92,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 119,789 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 sold a total of 65,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,736,050 over the last three months. 21.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in Vital Farms in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter valued at $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Zacks Research downgraded Vital Farms from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark downgraded Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on Vital Farms from $50.00 to $35.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vital Farms presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.00.

Vital Farms Stock Down 3.1%

Shares of Vital Farms stock opened at $15.70 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $33.30. The stock has a market cap of $703.36 million, a PE ratio of 10.90 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vital Farms has a 12 month low of $15.62 and a 12 month high of $53.13.

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