Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.31 and traded as high as $2.63. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $2.58, with a volume of 95,531 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Sunday, October 26th. Zacks Research lowered Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vera Bradley presently has an average rating of “Sell”.

Vera Bradley Trading Up 2.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.52 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.11 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.74 and a beta of 1.80. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $2.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.31.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.04) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.11) by $0.07. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 18.30% and a negative net margin of 34.23%.The business had revenue of $62.25 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $61.69 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.27) earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Vera Bradley

In other news, Director Andrew Meslow bought 250,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1.98 per share, for a total transaction of $495,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 550,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,089,000. This trade represents a 83.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 10.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vera Bradley

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Vera Bradley during the 2nd quarter worth about $114,000. Klingman & Associates LLC acquired a new position in Vera Bradley in the second quarter valued at approximately $119,000. Peapod Lane Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Peapod Lane Capital LLC now owns 875,893 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $2,120,000 after buying an additional 110,485 shares in the last quarter. Emissary Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,000. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $49,000. 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.