Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Lowered to "Strong Sell" Rating by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Vail Resorts from a "hold" to a "strong sell", while issuing Q3 2026 and Q2 2028 EPS estimates of $9.17 and $6.86, respectively.
• Other brokers have cut targets or mixed ratings—JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank trimmed targets, Truist and Mizuho remain more positive—yet the MarketBeat consensus remains a "Hold" with an average price target of $161.82.
• Vail missed quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $5.87 versus $6.06 expected and revenue down 4.7% year-over-year; shares recently traded near $122 with a market cap of about $4.35 billion.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Vail Resorts' Q3 2026 earnings at $9.17 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $6.86 EPS.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on MTN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $172.00 to $156.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. 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 report on Thursday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vail Resorts from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. 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 report on Friday, March 6th. Finally, 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 report on Tuesday, March 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vail Resorts presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $161.82.

Vail Resorts Price Performance

MTN stock opened at $122.07 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $132.44 and a 200-day moving average of $139.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.43. Vail Resorts has a 12 month low of $118.51 and a 12 month high of $175.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.76 and a beta of 0.79.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 9th. The company reported $5.87 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.06 by ($0.19). Vail Resorts had a net margin of 7.89% and a return on equity of 29.72%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.56 earnings per share. Vail Resorts's revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vail Resorts will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vail Resorts news, CFO Angela A. Korch acquired 190 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $131.85 per share, for a total transaction of $25,051.50. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 5,539 shares in the company, valued at $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 at this link. Also, CEO Robert A. Katz acquired 37,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $131.81 per share, with a total value of $4,942,875.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 285,312 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,606,974.72. The trade was a 15.13% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 1.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in MTN. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 2.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 121,123 shares of the company's stock worth $19,382,000 after buying an additional 3,440 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 1.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 148,235 shares of the company's stock worth $23,721,000 after buying an additional 2,824 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 24.1% in the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 3,086 shares of the company's stock worth $525,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 815.8% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 174 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 155 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new position in shares of Vail Resorts in the second quarter worth $2,119,000. 94.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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