Swiss National Bank Takes $10.56 Million Position in Versant Corporation $VSNT

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank acquired 285,300 Versant shares worth approximately $10.56 million during the first quarter, representing about 0.20% of the company. Several other major institutional investors also initiated positions.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but leans neutral: Versant has an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $41.80, compared with a recent stock price of $35.38.
• Versant exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, reporting $1.99 EPS versus the $1.69 consensus estimate, and paid a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share.

Swiss National Bank bought a new stake in Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 285,300 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,562,000. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.20% of Versant as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Versant during the first quarter valued at $26,331,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter worth $24,475,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in shares of Versant in the 4th quarter worth $24,134,000. California Public Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter worth about $10,733,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new stake in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter worth about $6,518,000.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VSNT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Versant from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Versant from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Arete Research upgraded Versant from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $40.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $46.00 price objective on shares of Versant in a research note on Monday, May 18th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $41.80.

Versant Stock Performance

VSNT stock opened at $35.38 on Monday. Versant Corporation has a twelve month low of $27.17 and a twelve month high of $59.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.99 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.78. The company has a quick ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $38.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.66.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) last released 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. As a group, analysts anticipate that Versant Corporation will post 4.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Versant Dividend Announcement

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

Versant Company Profile

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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