Caxton Associates LLP Invests $2.88 Million in Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP initiated a new position in Vital Farms during the first quarter, buying 204,092 shares worth about $2.88 million and representing 0.48% of the company.
• Several Vital Farms insiders bought shares recently, including Stephanie Coon and Joseph Michael Holland, with insiders purchasing a total of 38,700 shares worth $320,864 over the last 90 days.
• Analysts remain cautious on the stock: Vital Farms has a consensus rating of “Hold” with an average price target of $24.08, while the company recently missed EPS estimates but beat revenue expectations in its latest quarter.

Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 204,092 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,882,000. Caxton Associates LLP owned 0.48% of Vital Farms as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vital Farms in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Vital Farms during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in Vital Farms by 225.6% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Vital Farms during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. 98.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vital Farms

In other news, insider Stephanie Coon purchased 5,895 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.42 per share, with a total value of $49,635.90. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 62,314 shares in the company, valued at approximately $524,683.88. This represents a 10.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph Michael Holland bought 12,484 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $8.00 per share, with a total value of $99,872.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 38,150 shares in the company, valued at approximately $305,200. The trade was a 48.64% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased a total of 38,700 shares of company stock valued at $320,864 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VITL shares. Jefferies Financial Group set a $13.00 price target on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. William Blair restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus restated a "hold" rating and set a $10.00 target price (down from $34.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Vital Farms from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered Vital Farms from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $11.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $24.08.

Vital Farms Stock Performance

VITL opened at $13.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $557.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a fifty day moving average of $11.26 and a 200 day moving average of $16.79. Vital Farms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.95 and a fifty-two week high of $53.13.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $187.16 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $182.40 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 6.10%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.37 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vital Farms, Inc. will post -0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Vital Farms

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.

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