Short Interest in Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) Increases By 24.8%

Key Points

• Short interest jumped 24.8% in April to 7,338,160 shares, equal to 20.8% of the float and an 11.8‑day short‑interest ratio, signaling elevated bearish positioning against MTN.
• Vail missed quarterly estimates with EPS of $5.87 versus $6.06 expected and revenue of $1.08B versus $1.11B, while revenue fell 4.7% year‑over‑year, indicating near‑term operational pressure.
• The company pays an annualized dividend of $8.88 (a 7.0% yield) with a payout ratio of 144.86%, and insiders notably increased holdings — including CEO Robert Katz buying 37,500 shares — suggesting management confidence despite market concerns.

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,338,160 shares, an increase of 24.8% from the March 31st total of 5,880,976 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 623,164 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 11.8 days. Currently, 20.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Vail Resorts Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of MTN traded down $0.98 on Friday, reaching $126.20. 670,919 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 810,872. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 10.74 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $132.12 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $139.06. Vail Resorts has a 12 month low of $118.51 and a 12 month high of $175.51.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 29.72% and a net margin of 7.89%.The company's quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.56 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Vail Resorts will post 4.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th were paid a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 26th. Vail Resorts's payout ratio is 144.86%.

Trending Headlines about Vail Resorts

Here are the key news stories impacting Vail Resorts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vail announced its summer operations schedule, which supports off‑season revenue diversification and helps offset winter volatility. Vail Resorts announces summer operations schedule
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks trimmed a few near-term quarter forecasts modestly (e.g., Q2 2028 and Q3 2026 cuts), reflecting small downward adjustments rather than large surprises; these changes alone are incremental. Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded MTN to a "Strong Sell" and repeatedly lowered EPS estimates across FY2026–FY2028 and multiple quarters — cuts include sizeable downgrades to FY2027 and FY2028 consensus targets — creating downward pressure on the stock. Zacks.com
• Negative Sentiment: New Hampshire officials are investigating Vail over the application of sales tax to Epic Pass purchases; the policy change has drawn public and political backlash, which could lead to reputational, legal or remediation costs and complicate pass sales strategies. Vail Resorts add sales tax to Epic Pass purchases New Hampshire Investigating Vail Resorts for “Not So Epic” Sales Tax

Insider Transactions at Vail Resorts

In related news, CFO Angela A. Korch bought 190 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $131.85 per share, with a total value of $25,051.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 5,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $730,317.15. The trade was a 3.55% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Robert A. Katz bought 37,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $131.81 per share, with a total value of $4,942,875.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 285,312 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,606,974.72. The trade was a 15.13% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 21.5% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 424 shares of the company's stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Comerica Bank increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 0.4% in the third 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 position in shares of Vail Resorts by 1.2% in the third quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 6,903 shares of the company's stock worth $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 1.6% in the third quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,821 shares of the company's stock worth $871,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 0.9% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,993 shares of the company's stock worth $1,644,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on MTN. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $202.00 to $200.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Vail Resorts from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $159.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $151.00 to $147.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $217.00 to $212.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $159.00 to $151.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $161.82.

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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