Empyrean Capital Partners LP Purchases Shares of 384,748 Versant Corporation $VSNT

Key Points

• Empyrean Capital Partners bought 384,748 Versant shares worth approximately $14.2 million, representing about 0.27% of the company. Several other major institutional investors also initiated positions in Versant during recent quarters.
• Versant reported quarterly EPS of $1.99, exceeding the $1.69 consensus estimate, on revenue of $1.69 billion. The company also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share.
• Versant shares recently traded at $35.88, while analysts maintained a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $41.80.

Empyrean Capital Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 384,748 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,243,000. Empyrean Capital Partners LP owned approximately 0.27% of Versant at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VSNT. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP purchased a new stake in shares of Versant in the first quarter worth $41,747,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Versant during the first quarter worth about $26,331,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Versant in the 1st quarter worth about $24,475,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new position in Versant in the 4th quarter worth about $24,134,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter valued at about $10,733,000.

Versant Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VSNT opened at $35.88 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.06 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.03. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Versant Corporation has a 1-year low of $27.17 and a 1-year high of $59.00. The stock's 50-day moving average is $38.60 and its 200 day moving average is $36.66.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Versant Corporation will post 4.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Versant Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st were given a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 1st. Versant's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 75.38%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VSNT has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $46.00 price target on shares of Versant in a research report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Versant from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Arete Research upgraded shares of Versant from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $40.00 target price for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Versant presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $41.80.

About Versant

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company's products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company's Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.

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