Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Buy Rating

Key Points

• Village Farms International (NASDAQ: VFF) has been upgraded from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen.
• In its latest quarterly earnings report, Village Farms exceeded analysts' expectations, reporting earnings per share of $0.10 against a consensus estimate of ($0.02).
• Insider activity includes CFO Stephen C. Ruffini purchasing 25,000 shares at $1.21 each, increasing his ownership of the company significantly.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on VFF. Zelman & Associates reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a research report on Monday, June 9th. Alliance Global Partners reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Village Farms International in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Village Farms International presently has an average rating of "Buy".

Village Farms International Stock Up 0.7%

NASDAQ:VFF traded up $0.02 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $2.88. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,484,812 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,032,139. Village Farms International has a 1 year low of $0.45 and a 1 year high of $2.95. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $1.56 and a 200-day moving average of $1.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $324.40 million, a PE ratio of 32.00 and a beta of 2.14. The company has a quick ratio of 1.89, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Village Farms International (NASDAQ:VFF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 11th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.12. Village Farms International had a net margin of 3.42% and a negative return on equity of 2.24%. The company had revenue of $59.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $48.86 million. Equities research analysts forecast that Village Farms International will post -0.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Stephen C. Ruffini purchased 25,000 shares of Village Farms International stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1.21 per share, for a total transaction of $30,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 9,783,127 shares in the company, valued at $11,837,583.67. The trade was a 0.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 12.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Village Farms International

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Lighthouse Financial LLC acquired a new position in Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its stake in Village Farms International by 50.6% during the second quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 59,500 shares of the company's stock worth $65,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Hilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Village Farms International during the second quarter worth $94,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL acquired a new position in Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth $146,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Village Farms International during the fourth quarter worth $146,000. 12.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.