Vital Farms Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:VITL)

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) saw unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock traders purchased 2,402 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 94% compared to the average daily volume of 1,241 call options.

Vital Farms Stock Up 10.3%

NASDAQ:VITL opened at $30.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.65. The company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.81 and a beta of 1.11. Vital Farms has a one year low of $26.65 and a one year high of $53.13. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.23.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $198.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $191.35 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 20.19% and a net margin of 8.50%.Vital Farms’s revenue for the quarter was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.16 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Vital Farms will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VITL. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. DA Davidson set a $47.00 price target on Vital Farms and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a 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. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Tuesday. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.91.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Farms

In other news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.85, for a total value of $771,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,361,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $196,242,711.50. This trade represents a 0.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $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. Insiders sold 101,734 shares of company stock valued at $3,350,177 in the last three months. Company insiders own 21.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vital Farms

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 16.5% during the second quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 56,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,179,000 after buying an additional 8,008 shares during the last quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel grew its holdings in Vital Farms by 36.5% in the 2nd quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 49,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,900,000 after buying an additional 13,202 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vital Farms in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,665,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Vital Farms by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 807,003 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,089,000 after acquiring an additional 18,682 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its stake in Vital Farms by 206.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 25,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $994,000 after acquiring an additional 17,387 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Vital Farms Company Profile

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.