Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) Stock Gets Downgrade from Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Village Farms International from “Buy” to “Hold.” Other recent ratings changes from Zacks Research and Weiss Ratings also leave the stock with an overall “Hold” consensus.
• VFF shares opened at $2.58, down 4.8%, with a market capitalization of approximately $315.5 million. The stock has traded between $1.80 and $4.99 over the past year.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.06 in earnings per share versus the $0.02 consensus and revenue of $63.98 million versus $56.30 million expected. Director Christopher C. Woodward also purchased 10,000 shares, while insiders own 13.2% of the company.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Sunday, Wall Street Zen reports.

• Village Farms International NASDAQ: VFF Stock is a Unique Cannabis ESG Play

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on VFF. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Village Farms International from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Village Farms International from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Village Farms International Trading Down 4.8%

NASDAQ:VFF opened at $2.58 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.81 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $315.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.18 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a quick ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 3.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. Village Farms International has a 1-year low of $1.80 and a 1-year high of $4.99.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $63.98 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $56.30 million. Village Farms International had a return on equity of 7.62% and a net margin of 9.85%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Village Farms International will post 0.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Village Farms International news, Director Christopher C. Woodward bought 10,000 shares of Village Farms International stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $3.06 per share, for a total transaction of $30,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 171,526 shares in the company, valued at approximately $524,869.56. The trade was a 6.19% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 13.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Village Farms International

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Village Farms International by 37.9% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 47,282 shares of the company's stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 13,000 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Village Farms International in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $48,000. State of Wyoming grew its position in shares of Village Farms International by 17.4% in the 1st quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 171,807 shares of the company's stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 25,524 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Village Farms International by 3.9% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,318,066 shares of the company's stock worth $3,743,000 after purchasing an additional 49,500 shares in the last quarter. 12.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Village Farms International

Village Farms International, Inc NASDAQ: VFF is an agriculture company that grows, markets and distributes fresh produce and cannabis. Its produce business focuses on greenhouse-grown tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, including conventional and organic offerings sold under the Village Farms brand and through retail and foodservice channels.

The company operates greenhouse and distribution facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, serving grocery retailers, wholesalers and foodservice customers across North America.

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