Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Shares of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $151.50, but opened at $170.33. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $171.30, with a volume of 763,297 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on MTN. Barclays reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and set a $152.00 price objective (down previously from $165.00) on shares of Vail Resorts in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Macquarie lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $195.00 to $185.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 12th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Vail Resorts from $227.00 to $215.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Vail Resorts from an "underweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $167.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $152.00 price target on Vail Resorts in a report on Friday, April 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Vail Resorts has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $187.60.

Vail Resorts Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $6.38 billion, a PE ratio of 28.37, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $146.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $164.73.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The company reported $6.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.29 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. Vail Resorts had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 21.90%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $5.76 EPS. Research analysts expect that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 27th were paid a $2.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 27th. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.19%. Vail Resorts's dividend payout ratio is presently 130.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vail Resorts news, CFO Angela A. Korch acquired 185 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $160.00 per share, with a total value of $29,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 2,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $472,960. This trade represents a 6.68% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vail Resorts

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Vail Resorts in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. SouthState Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 246.7% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 208 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Vail Resorts by 102.5% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 243 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alpine Bank Wealth Management purchased a new position in Vail Resorts in the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. 94.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vail Resorts Company 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.

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