Wall Street Zen Upgrades Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) to Hold

Key Points

• Village Farms International has been upgraded from a "sell" to a "hold" rating by analysts at Wall Street Zen, indicating a more favorable outlook for the stock.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings miss with an EPS of ($0.06), falling short of analysts' estimates of ($0.01), and had a revenue of $77.07 million against expectations of $78.44 million.
• CFO Stephen C. Ruffini acquired 25,000 shares of the company at an average price of $1.21, increasing his ownership stake, which now amounts to approximately $11.84 million in value.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on VFF. Alliance Global Partners reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Zelman & Associates reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a report on Monday, June 9th.

Village Farms International Price Performance

Shares of Village Farms International stock traded down $0.04 on Friday, hitting $1.44. 90,874 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 687,669. The stock has a market capitalization of $161.21 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.99 and a beta of 2.18. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.88. Village Farms International has a 1-year low of $0.45 and a 1-year high of $1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 12th. The company reported ($0.06) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.05). Village Farms International had a negative net margin of 11.85% and a negative return on equity of 10.55%. The business had revenue of $77.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $78.44 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Village Farms International will post -0.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Village Farms International

In other news, CFO Stephen C. Ruffini bought 25,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $1.21 per share, with a total value of $30,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 9,783,127 shares in the company, valued at $11,837,583.67. This trade represents a 0.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 12.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Village Farms International

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Perkins Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Village Farms International by 21.1% in the first quarter. Perkins Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,318,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $798,000 after purchasing an additional 230,000 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Village Farms International by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,190,633 shares of the company's stock worth $918,000 after acquiring an additional 80,567 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth $146,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its position in shares of Village Farms International by 625.6% during the fourth quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 193,000 shares of the company's stock worth $149,000 after acquiring an additional 166,400 shares during the period. Finally, Lighthouse Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.15% of the company's stock.

Village Farms International Company Profile

Village Farms International, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and sells greenhouse-grown tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in North America. It operates through four segments: Produce, Cannabis-Canada, Cannabis-U.S., and Energy. The company also produces and supplies cannabis products to other licensed providers and provincial governments in Canada and internationally; develops and sells cannabinoid-based health and wellness products, including ingestible, edibles, and topical applications; and produces power.