Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) Rating Increased to Neutral at Arete Research

Key Points

• Arete Research upgraded Versant from “sell” to “neutral” and kept a $40 price target, implying about 10% upside from the stock’s current level.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautious overall: Versant now has an average “Hold” rating with a consensus target price of $41.80, based on one Buy and seven Hold ratings.
• Versant recently reported stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings of $1.99 per share versus estimates of $1.69, while revenue came in at $1.69 billion.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Arete Research from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $40.00 target price on the stock. Arete Research's target price points to a potential upside of 10.04% from the stock's current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Versant from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Versant in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $43.00 target price for the company. Seaport Research Partners reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Versant in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Versant from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Versant has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $41.80.

Versant Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of Versant stock opened at $36.35 on Friday. Versant has a 52 week low of $27.17 and a 52 week high of $59.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $39.44. The company has a market capitalization of $5.13 billion and a PE ratio of 18.27.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $1.99 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.30. The business had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter. On average, equities analysts predict that Versant will post 4.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Versant

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in shares of Versant during the fourth quarter worth approximately $24,134,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new position in Versant in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $795,000. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund acquired a new position in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,230,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,127,000. Finally, HBK Sorce Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Versant in the 4th quarter worth approximately $646,000.

About Versant

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company's products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company's Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.

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