Oak Thistle LLC Grows Stock Position in Vail Resorts, Inc. $MTN

Key Points

• Oak Thistle LLC increased its stake in Vail Resorts by 244.9% in Q4 and now owns 13,523 shares worth about $1.80 million.
• CEO Robert A. Katz purchased 37,500 shares at an average of $131.81 (≈$4.94 million), boosting his holding by 15.13% to 285,312 shares.
• Vail Resorts declared a quarterly dividend of $2.22 ($8.88 annual, ~6.8% yield) with an ex‑dividend date of March 26, though the payout ratio is high at 144.86%.

Oak Thistle LLC boosted its holdings in Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Free Report) by 244.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,523 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 9,602 shares during the quarter. Oak Thistle LLC's holdings in Vail Resorts were worth $1,796,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Comerica Bank increased its holdings in Vail Resorts by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 17,552 shares of the company's stock worth $2,625,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Xponance Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 6,903 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,032,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Mitchell & Pahl Private Wealth LLC now owns 3,722 shares of the company's stock valued at $557,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,821 shares of the company's stock valued at $871,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,993 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,644,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.90% of the company's stock.

Vail Resorts Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:MTN opened at $129.83 on Thursday. Vail Resorts, Inc. has a 12-month low of $123.82 and a 12-month high of $175.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.18, a P/E/G ratio of 9.47 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43, a current ratio of 0.62 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.03 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.56.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by ($0.19). Vail Resorts had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 29.72%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.56 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 EPS for the current year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th will be given a dividend of $2.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 26th. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. Vail Resorts's payout ratio is currently 144.86%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MTN shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $175.00 to $172.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Vail Resorts from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Vail Resorts in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. Mizuho lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $202.00 to $200.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $234.00 to $217.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vail Resorts currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $165.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Robert A. Katz acquired 37,500 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $131.81 per share, for a total transaction of $4,942,875.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 285,312 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,606,974.72. This trade represents a 15.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Angela A. Korch acquired 190 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were bought at an average price of $131.85 per share, with a total value of $25,051.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $730,317.15. This trade represents a 3.55% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc is a leading mountain resort company that owns and operates an integrated network of ski areas, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. The company's signature Epic Pass program offers skiers and snowboarders season‐long access to its portfolio of resorts, while ancillary services such as ski and snowboard schools, equipment rental and retail drive additional revenue.

Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Vail Resorts was formed in 1997, building on the legacy of Vail Associates, which opened the Vail ski area in 1962.

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