Short Interest in Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) Expands By 39.9%

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,630,000 shares, a growth of 39.9% from the May 15th total of 1,880,000 shares. Approximately 7.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 737,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.6 days.

Vail Resorts Price Performance

MTN stock traded up $1.19 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $156.36. 1,264,017 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 590,067. Vail Resorts has a 52 week low of $129.85 and a 52 week high of $199.45. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $147.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a current ratio of 0.61 and a quick ratio of 0.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.81 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 0.91.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, June 5th. The company reported $10.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.00 by $0.54. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.31 billion. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 30.25% and a net margin of 9.81%. The firm's revenue was up 1.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $9.54 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Vail Resorts will post 7.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 24th will be issued a dividend of $2.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 24th. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.68%. Vail Resorts's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 113.55%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MTN shares. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating and set a $152.00 price objective (down from $165.00) on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $215.00 to $216.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, June 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $183.00 to $171.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 29th. Macquarie reduced their target price on Vail Resorts from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "equal weight" rating on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Friday, June 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $187.20.

Institutional Trading of Vail Resorts

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hodges Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts in the 1st quarter valued at about $382,000. Impala Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Vail Resorts in the first quarter worth approximately $1,120,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd bought a new stake in Vail Resorts in the first quarter valued at approximately $404,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Vail Resorts by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 148,235 shares of the company's stock valued at $23,721,000 after purchasing an additional 2,824 shares during the period. Finally, United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in Vail Resorts during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $411,000. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates mountain resorts and regional ski areas in the United States. It operates through three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates 41 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas. This segment is also involved in the ancillary activities, including ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations, as well as real estate brokerage activities.