Hsbc Holdings PLC Buys Shares of 83,559 Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC purchased 83,559 shares of Vital Farms, valued at approximately $1.15 million, while institutional investors collectively owned 98.59% of the company at quarter-end.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans toward caution: Vital Farms has a consensus “Hold” rating from 15 analysts, with an average price target of $24.08. Several firms recently lowered targets or downgraded the stock.
• Vital Farms reported quarterly revenue of $187.16 million, up 15.4% year over year and above expectations, but posted an adjusted loss of $0.03 per share versus the expected $0.09 profit. The stock opened at $13.82, well below its 52-week high of $53.13.

Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new position in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 83,559 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,152,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned about 0.20% of Vital Farms at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Vital Farms by 129.2% during the first quarter. Taylor Frigon Capital Management LLC now owns 89,972 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,270,000 after purchasing an additional 50,718 shares during the last quarter. 4WEALTH Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Vital Farms during the 1st quarter worth about $653,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 458.6% during the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 50,646 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after purchasing an additional 41,580 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 155.2% during the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 37,122 shares of the company's stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 22,576 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Skylands Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,943,000. 98.59% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on VITL shares. Mizuho set a $20.00 price objective on Vital Farms in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $10.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $10.00 target price (down from $34.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson upgraded shares of Vital Farms to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Craig Hallum lowered shares of Vital Farms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $10.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vital Farms presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $24.08.

Vital Farms Price Performance

NASDAQ VITL opened at $13.82 on Wednesday. Vital Farms, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.95 and a fifty-two week high of $53.13. The stock's 50-day moving average is $11.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 1.77 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of $592.19 million, a P/E ratio of 13.29 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Joseph Michael Holland bought 12,484 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was 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 of the company's stock, valued at $305,200. This trade represents a 48.64% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Glenda J. Flanagan acquired 6,100 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $8.33 per share, with a total value of $50,813.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 37,498 shares of the company's stock, valued at $312,358.34. The trade was a 19.43% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought a total of 38,700 shares of company stock valued at $320,864 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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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