Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Gap Up Following Insider Buying Activity

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock had previously closed at $132.44, but opened at $138.55. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $139.3450, with a volume of 204,169 shares trading hands.

Specifically, CEO Robert A. Katz bought 37,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $131.81 per share, for a total transaction of $4,942,875.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 285,312 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $37,606,974.72. The trade was a 15.13% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Angela A. Korch purchased 190 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $131.85 per share, for a total transaction of $25,051.50. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $730,317.15. This represents a 3.55% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on MTN. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vail Resorts from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $159.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Zacks Research raised Vail Resorts from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $169.00 target price on shares of Vail Resorts in a report on Friday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Vail Resorts from $151.00 to $147.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price target on Vail Resorts from $234.00 to $217.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.00.

Trending Headlines about Vail Resorts

Here are the key news stories impacting Vail Resorts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO Robert A. Katz purchased 37,500 shares (~$4.94M), a sizable open‑market buy that increases his holding ~15% and is being read by the market as a strong signal of insider confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: CFO Angela Korch also bought shares (190 shares, ~$25k), a smaller but confirmatory insider purchase that adds to the narrative of management conviction. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Vail announced a multi‑year roll‑out to bring the My Epic Gear experience to all rentals (expanded choice, premium boot tech, and removal of the My Epic Gear fee), a consumer-facing initiative that should support rental revenue and customer retention over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: The analyst picture is mixed — MarketBeat consensus rates MTN as a Hold with a $165 average target and a range of Buy/Hold/Sell opinions — providing a neutral backdrop versus the immediate insider-driven move. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent Q3 results showed an EPS and revenue miss and year‑over‑year revenue decline, reinforcing concerns about a warm winter’s impact on near‑term profitability. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley cut its price target and materially lowered 2026 EPS estimates citing weak conditions in the Rockies, a proximate reason some investors remain cautious despite insider buys. Read More.

Vail Resorts Price Performance

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $137.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.53, a P/E/G ratio of 9.12 and a beta of 0.78.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $6.06 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. Vail Resorts had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 29.72%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.56 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th will be issued a $2.22 dividend. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 26th. Vail Resorts’s payout ratio is presently 144.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Vail Resorts by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 22,022 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,925,000 after purchasing an additional 3,023 shares in the last quarter. Union Savings Bank purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts during the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. Midway Capital Research & Management purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,070,000. River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 37.9% in the fourth quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 508,498 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,529,000 after buying an additional 139,828 shares during the period. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vail Resorts in the fourth quarter worth about $935,000. 94.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc is a leading mountain resort company that owns and operates an integrated network of ski areas, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. The company’s signature Epic Pass program offers skiers and snowboarders season‐long access to its portfolio of resorts, while ancillary services such as ski and snowboard schools, equipment rental and retail drive additional revenue.

Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Vail Resorts was formed in 1997, building on the legacy of Vail Associates, which opened the Vail ski area in 1962.