Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Cut to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Vera Bradley (NASDAQ: VRA) from a "buy" to a hold, while Zacks moved the stock from "strong sell" to "hold", leaving a MarketBeat consensus rating of Reduce (two Hold, one Sell).
• Vera Bradley beat Q results expectations with $0.09 EPS vs. $0.01 estimated and $84.89M revenue vs. $79.73M expected, but the company remains unprofitable (ROE −12.0%, net margin −17.74%) and analysts forecast −0.34 EPS for the year.
• Shares opened at $4.13 with a 52-week range of $1.39–$4.39, a market cap of about $117.5M, and roughly 59.9% of the stock held by institutional investors.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Zacks Research raised Vera Bradley from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vera Bradley has a consensus rating of "Reduce".

Vera Bradley Stock Performance

Shares of VRA opened at $4.13 on Friday. The business's 50-day moving average is $3.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.80. The company has a market capitalization of $117.46 million, a P/E ratio of -2.40 and a beta of 1.70. Vera Bradley has a fifty-two week low of $1.39 and a fifty-two week high of $4.39.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The textile maker reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $84.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $79.73 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 17.74%. Analysts forecast that Vera Bradley will post -0.34 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vera Bradley

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Emissary Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the 4th quarter valued at about $51,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Simplex Trading LLC grew its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 55.0% during the 4th quarter. Simplex Trading LLC now owns 35,083 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 12,442 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 266.8% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 41,000 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 29,823 shares during the period. 59.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vera Bradley Company Profile

Vera Bradley, Inc NASDAQ: VRA is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women's casual and travel needs.

The company's product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.

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