Marshall Wace LLP Has $3.53 Million Stock Position in Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN)

Marshall Wace LLP decreased its holdings in Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Free Report) by 94.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 18,832 shares of the company's stock after selling 302,161 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned 0.05% of Vail Resorts worth $3,530,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 13.5% in the 4th quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 5,734 shares of the company's stock worth $1,075,000 after buying an additional 684 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts in the 4th quarter valued at $503,000. Mariner LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 30.3% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 2,979 shares of the company's stock worth $558,000 after purchasing an additional 693 shares during the last quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 881 shares of the company's stock worth $165,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heritage Trust Co bought a new position in Vail Resorts during the 4th quarter valued at about $470,000. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vail Resorts Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE:MTN traded up $1.86 during trading on Thursday, hitting $141.06. 91,911 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 579,687. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $150.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $167.93. Vail Resorts, Inc. has a 52 week low of $129.85 and a 52 week high of $206.38. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64. The company has a market cap of $5.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.93.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The company reported $6.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.29 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. Vail Resorts had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 21.90%. The firm's revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.76 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 27th were given a $2.22 dividend. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.30%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 27th. Vail Resorts's dividend payout ratio is presently 130.21%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $227.00 to $215.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $152.00 target price on Vail Resorts in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Barclays reissued an "underweight" rating and set a $152.00 price objective (down previously from $165.00) on shares of Vail Resorts in a report on Monday, March 10th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Vail Resorts from $185.00 to $160.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Vail Resorts from $166.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $187.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vail Resorts news, CFO Angela A. Korch bought 185 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $160.00 per share, for a total transaction of $29,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 2,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at $472,960. This trade represents a 6.68 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Vail Resorts Profile

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.