Impax Asset Management Group plc Lowers Stock Position in Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL

Impax Asset Management Group plc lessened its stake in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) by 41.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 108,915 shares of the company’s stock after selling 76,085 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned approximately 0.24% of Vital Farms worth $4,482,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VITL. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Vital Farms by 15.0% during the 3rd quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,593 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,382,000 after buying an additional 4,386 shares in the last quarter. Bryce Point Capital LLC bought a new position in Vital Farms in the third quarter valued at $560,000. Renaissance Group LLC raised its position in Vital Farms by 6.8% during the third quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 231,168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,513,000 after purchasing an additional 14,637 shares in the last quarter. Ranger Investment Management L.P. raised its position in Vital Farms by 0.7% during the third quarter. Ranger Investment Management L.P. now owns 237,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,781,000 after purchasing an additional 1,580 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vital Farms by 10.2% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 219,450 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,030,000 after purchasing an additional 20,389 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on VITL. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Vital Farms from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Vital Farms from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $53.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.91.

Vital Farms Stock Down 1.3%

NASDAQ:VITL opened at $25.80 on Thursday. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 1-year low of $25.51 and a 1-year high of $53.13. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $30.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.18. The company has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a PE ratio of 19.55 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.65 and a quick ratio of 2.15.

Insider Transactions at Vital Farms

In other news, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $22,771,424.20. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.91, for a total value of $558,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,341,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $176,982,612.90. This represents a 0.31% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 91,734 shares of company stock worth $2,921,477. Insiders own 21.30% 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.