Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Shares of Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $2.22 and traded as high as $2.22. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $2.20, with a volume of 282,022 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on VRA shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Trading Up 1.9%

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $2.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2.22. The company has a current ratio of 2.52, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market capitalization of $61.49 million, a PE ratio of -0.63 and a beta of 1.75.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.07. The business had revenue of $62.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $61.69 million. Vera Bradley had a negative net margin of 34.23% and a negative return on equity of 18.30%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.27) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Andrew Meslow bought 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1.93 per share, with a total value of $96,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 600,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,158,000. This trade represents a 9.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 10.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vera Bradley

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VRA. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new stake in Vera Bradley during the third quarter worth approximately $49,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vera Bradley by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,846,432 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,711,000 after acquiring an additional 243,900 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP acquired a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the 3rd quarter worth $121,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 21.5% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 542,579 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,091,000 after purchasing an additional 96,044 shares during the period. Finally, ING Groep NV purchased a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the third quarter valued at $201,000. Institutional investors own 59.88% of the company’s stock.

About Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.