Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL Shares Bought by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its Vital Farms stake by 10.4% in the fourth quarter, ending with 1.52 million shares valued at about $48.6 million. Institutional ownership remains very high, with funds and hedge funds holding about 98.6% of the stock.
• Vital Farms reported a Q1 EPS miss of -$0.03 versus expectations of $0.09, but revenue came in above estimates at $187.16 million and rose 15.4% year over year. The company also lowered its FY2026 revenue outlook to $775 million-$800 million, which contributed to recent stock weakness.
• Analysts are turning more cautious: several firms cut ratings, and the stock now carries an overall Hold rating with an average price target of $27.92. Insider activity was mixed, with major shareholder Matthew Ohayer selling shares while director Karl Khoury bought 5,000 shares.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL - Free Report) by 10.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,520,471 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 142,790 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 3.40% of Vital Farms worth $48,564,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VITL. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Vital Farms by 896.2% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,590 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 2,330 shares in the last quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $105,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in Vital Farms by 53.6% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,197 shares of the company's stock valued at $135,000 after acquiring an additional 1,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its position in Vital Farms by 48.3% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,369 shares of the company's stock valued at $139,000 after acquiring an additional 1,098 shares in the last quarter. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $10.00 target price on Vital Farms in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded Vital Farms from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Telsey Advisory Group downgraded Vital Farms from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and set a $11.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Friday. Mizuho set a $20.00 target price on Vital Farms in a research report on Monday. Finally, Benchmark downgraded Vital Farms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.92.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $406,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 6,321,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $128,509,792.70. This trade represents a 0.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Karl Khoury acquired 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $18.45 per share, for a total transaction of $92,250.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 119,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,210,107.05. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 21.30% of the company's stock.

Vital Farms Stock Performance

Shares of VITL opened at $8.94 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 1.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $383.08 million, a PE ratio of 8.60 and a beta of 1.20. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $8.40 and a 1 year high of $53.13.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $182.40 million. Vital Farms had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 14.47%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 0.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Vital Farms News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vital Farms still posted revenue above estimates for the quarter, with sales rising 15.4% year over year, which suggests demand for its premium egg products remains intact. Vital Farms earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: William Blair reaffirmed its market perform rating on Vital Farms, indicating the firm is not turning more bearish even after the selloff. William Blair rating note
• Neutral Sentiment: Several law firms issued reminders about the pending securities class action and May 26 lead-plaintiff deadline, keeping investor attention on litigation risk. Rosen Law Firm notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Faruqi & Faruqi, The Gross Law Firm, Schall, Robbins, Pomerantz, Berger Montague and others also reiterated class-action notices, adding to the overhang but not changing the underlying fundamentals by themselves. Class action lawsuit notice
• Negative Sentiment: Craig Hallum downgraded Vital Farms from buy to hold, signaling less enthusiasm after the disappointing quarter and weaker outlook. Craig Hallum downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: The main driver of the stock weakness was the earnings miss and sharply reduced FY2026 revenue guidance of $775 million to $800 million, which fell well below the market's expectations and raised concerns about margin pressure and slower growth. Earnings and guidance article

Vital Farms Profile

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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