33,594 Shares in The Marzetti Company $MZTI Bought by Vest Financial LLC

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC acquired a new position of 33,594 shares in The Marzetti Company during Q4, valued at about $5.524 million and representing roughly 0.12% of the company.
• Other institutions also added stakes, leaving institutional ownership at 66.44%; notable new positions included Boston Trust Walden (~$43.36M) and M&T Bank Corp (~$1.119B) per the filing.
• Shares opened at $126.40 (52‑week range $124.25–$193.25) with a $3.47B market cap; Marzetti missed Q4 EPS estimates ($2.15 vs. $2.23), pays a quarterly dividend of $1.00 (annualized yield ~3.2%), and has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" with an average target of $176.

Vest Financial LLC acquired a new position in The Marzetti Company (NASDAQ:MZTI - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 33,594 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,524,000. Vest Financial LLC owned about 0.12% of Marzetti at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MZTI. Retirement Systems of Alabama acquired a new stake in Marzetti in the 4th quarter worth $4,014,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Marzetti during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,226,000. Boston Trust Walden Corp acquired a new position in Marzetti in the fourth quarter worth about $43,355,000. M&T Bank Corp acquired a new stake in Marzetti in the 4th quarter valued at $1,118,569,000. Finally, Independence Bank of Kentucky acquired a new stake in shares of Marzetti in the 4th quarter valued at $598,000. Institutional investors own 66.44% of the company's stock.

Marzetti Stock Performance

Shares of MZTI stock opened at $126.40 on Wednesday. The Marzetti Company has a 52-week low of $124.25 and a 52-week high of $193.25. The stock has a market cap of $3.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.48 and a beta of 0.47. The firm's 50-day moving average is $147.00 and its 200-day moving average is $159.26.

Marzetti (NASDAQ:MZTI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $509.77 million during the quarter. Marzetti had a net margin of 9.25% and a return on equity of 18.55%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year.

Marzetti Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Marzetti's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 61.26%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Marzetti from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, January 31st. Stephens dropped their price objective on Marzetti from $180.00 to $160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Marzetti in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of Marzetti from $184.00 to $168.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $176.00.

Marzetti Company Profile

Lancaster Colony Corporation engages in the manufacturing and marketing of specialty food products for the retail and foodservice channels in the United States. It operates in two segments, Retail and Foodservice. The company offers frozen garlic bread under the New York BRAND Bakery; frozen Parkerhouse style yeast and dinner rolls under the Sister Schubert's brand; salad dressings under the Marzetti, Simply Dressed, Cardini's, and Girard's brands; vegetable and fruit dips under the Marzetti brand; croutons and salad toppings under the New York BRAND Bakery, Chatham Village, and Marzetti brands; and frozen pasta under the Marzetti Frozen Pasta brand.

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