Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) from a "hold" to a buy rating in a report issued Saturday.
• The company beat expectations for the quarter with $0.09 EPS (vs. $0.01 expected) and $84.9M revenue, but remains unprofitable (ROE -12.0%, net margin -17.74%) and analysts expect -$0.25 EPS for the year.
• Shares rose about 3.5% to open at $3.88 (market cap ~$108.5M, P/E -2.26), yet the consensus remains cautious with an average rating of Reduce (two Holds, one Sell).

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

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded Vera Bradley from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Reduce".

Vera Bradley Stock Up 3.5%

VRA opened at $3.88 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $108.52 million, a PE ratio of -2.26 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a 50 day moving average of $3.01 and a 200-day moving average of $2.61. Vera Bradley has a 52 week low of $1.39 and a 52 week high of $3.93.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The textile maker reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $84.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $79.73 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 17.74%. Equities analysts anticipate that Vera Bradley will post -0.25 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Vera Bradley by 133.2% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 467,127 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $1,130,000 after buying an additional 266,785 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its position in Vera Bradley by 19.3% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 340,083 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $823,000 after buying an additional 55,120 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Vera Bradley by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 163,636 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $368,000 after buying an additional 12,021 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in Vera Bradley by 17.2% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 103,586 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $251,000 after buying an additional 15,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Markets Corp bought a new position in Vera Bradley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $242,000. Institutional investors own 59.88% of the company's stock.

About Vera Bradley

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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