Osterweis Capital Management Inc. Invests $11.51 Million in Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL

Key Points

• Osterweis Capital Management Inc. has acquired a new stake in Vital Farms, Inc., purchasing 377,595 shares valued at approximately $11.5 million, representing about 0.85% of the company.
• Vital Farms reported a strong quarterly performance with earnings per share of $0.36, surpassing estimates and showing a revenue increase of 25.4% year-over-year.
• Favorable analyst ratings for Vital Farms have emerged, with target prices raised by numerous firms, including BMO Capital Markets, which set a new target at $60, reflecting a strong buy sentiment.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 377,595 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,505,000. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.85% of Vital Farms as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Inspire Investing LLC raised its stake in Vital Farms by 248.4% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 37,460 shares of the company's stock worth $1,141,000 after acquiring an additional 26,708 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in Vital Farms by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 47,317 shares of the company's stock worth $1,442,000 after buying an additional 885 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Vital Farms by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 89,893 shares of the company's stock worth $2,739,000 after acquiring an additional 1,198 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP acquired a new stake in Vital Farms in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,073,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vital Farms by 3.3% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 415,420 shares of the company's stock worth $12,658,000 after purchasing an additional 13,397 shares in the last quarter. 98.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Vital Farms

In other news, SVP Stephanie Coon sold 10,005 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.15, for a total transaction of $461,730.75. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 45,779 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,112,700.85. This represents a 17.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,700 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.32, for a total transaction of $790,244.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 685,776 shares in the company, valued at $32,450,920.32. This trade represents a 2.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 434,401 shares of company stock worth $21,687,330. Insiders own 21.30% of the company's stock.

Vital Farms Stock Down 2.9%

Shares of VITL stock traded down $1.36 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $45.70. The company's stock had a trading volume of 270,455 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,004,322. Vital Farms, Inc. has a one year low of $27.91 and a one year high of $53.13. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $44.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.14. The company has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.75 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a quick ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 2.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $184.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.28 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 18.40% and a net margin of 7.84%.Vital Farms's revenue was up 25.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.36 earnings per share. Vital Farms has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Analysts anticipate that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VITL has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Lake Street Capital set a $60.00 price objective on Vital Farms and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 8th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $51.00 to $52.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 11th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Vital Farms from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $49.80.

Vital Farms Company Profile

Vital Farms, Inc, a food company, provides pasture-raised products in the United States. It offers shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.