Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky Invests $1.27 Million in Versant Corporation $VSNT

Key Points

• Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky bought 34,437 shares of Versant Corporation in the first quarter, a position worth about $1.27 million.
• Other institutional investors also increased or initiated stakes in Versant, including Massachusetts Financial Services, HSBC Holdings, Janney Montgomery Scott, and New York State Teachers Retirement System, signaling continued institutional interest.
• Analysts currently view Versant cautiously: the stock has a consensus rating of Hold with an average price target of $40.40, while the company recently beat earnings estimates and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share.

Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky acquired a new position in shares of Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 34,437 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,275,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in Versant in the fourth quarter worth $24,134,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter valued at $6,518,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in shares of Versant by 3,591.6% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 166,308 shares of the company's stock worth $6,157,000 after purchasing an additional 161,803 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter worth $5,478,000. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury purchased a new position in Versant during the 4th quarter worth $3,460,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of Versant in a research report on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Versant in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $43.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Versant from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Versant from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $40.40.

Versant Stock Performance

Versant stock opened at $36.03 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company's 50-day moving average price is $39.52. The stock has a market cap of $5.08 billion and a P/E ratio of 18.11. Versant Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $27.17 and a fifty-two week high of $59.00.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 predict that Versant Corporation will post 4.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Versant Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Versant's payout ratio is presently 75.38%.

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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