Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA)’s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.29 and traded as high as $2.69. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $2.64, with a volume of 170,817 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research downgraded Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, October 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Vera Bradley Stock Performance

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 stock’s 50 day moving average is $2.55 and its 200 day moving average is $2.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.75 and a beta of 1.78.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.07. The company had revenue of $62.25 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 in the previous year, the business posted ($0.27) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Andrew Meslow purchased 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $1.93 per share, with a total value of $96,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 600,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,158,000. This represents a 9.09% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 12.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vera Bradley

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VRA. Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Vera Bradley by 15.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,846,432 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $3,711,000 after purchasing an additional 243,900 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the 2nd quarter worth about $363,000. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 224.4% during the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 185,035 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $409,000 after buying an additional 127,994 shares in the last quarter. ING Groep NV acquired a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the third quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Finally, RBF Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vera Bradley during the second quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.