Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Receives Market Perform Rating from William Blair

Key Points

• William Blair reiterated a “market perform” rating on Vital Farms, while the broader analyst view remains mixed with an average “Hold” rating and a consensus price target of $27.92.
• The stock fell 6.7% to $8.89 on heavy trading volume, leaving shares near their 12-month low and well below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Recent quarterly results were uneven: revenue rose 15.4% year over year to $187.16 million and beat estimates, but EPS came in at a $0.03 loss versus expectations for a $0.09 profit, and management also cut guidance sharply.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "market perform" rating restated by analysts at William Blair in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports.

VITL has been the topic of several other reports. TD Cowen cut Vital Farms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $25.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on Vital Farms from $35.00 to $20.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Weiss Ratings cut Vital Farms from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Benchmark cut Vital Farms from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $16.00 price objective (down from $47.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vital Farms has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $27.92.

Vital Farms Trading Down 6.7%

Shares of NASDAQ VITL traded down $0.64 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $8.89. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,268,947 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,610,409. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.16. The stock has a market cap of $380.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.17 and a beta of 1.20. Vital Farms has a 12 month low of $8.40 and a 12 month high of $53.13. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.49.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $187.16 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $182.40 million. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 20.69% and a net margin of 8.73%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Vital Farms will post 0.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total value of $406,600.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 6,321,190 shares of the company's stock, valued at $128,509,792.70. The trade was a 0.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Karl Khoury purchased 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $18.45 per share, for a total transaction of $92,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 119,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,210,107.05. This represents a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 21.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Vital Farms

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Vital Farms by 4,382.6% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Vital Farms by 225.6% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $55,000. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Vital Farms News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue beat and growth — Vital Farms reported revenue of $187.2M, up ~15.4% year‑over‑year and above consensus, showing underlying top‑line resilience. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary is mixed — analysts and commentators say the long‑term thesis (premium brand, better economics than commodity peers) may remain intact, but investor confidence has fallen after the quarter. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials available — investors can review the Q1 earnings transcript and the company slide deck for management’s detail on margins, pricing and channel dynamics. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and margin pressure — Vital Farms reported a loss of $0.03/sh vs. an expected $0.09, a sharp swing from $0.37 a year ago; management cited collapsing margins and reduced guidance as drivers. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance cut is large — FY2026 revenue guidance was trimmed to roughly $775M–$800M versus consensus near $871.6M, signaling a substantial shortfall and raising questions on pricing power and recovery timing. Slide Deck / Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Legal risk: multiple class‑action notices — Several plaintiff firms have filed or are soliciting lead‑plaintiff candidates alleging securities law violations for purchases between May 8, 2025 and Feb 26, 2026; the lead‑plaintiff deadline is May 26, 2026. Article Title Additional Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade adds pressure — Craig Hallum cut VITL from Buy to Hold and set a $10 target (modest upside from current levels), signaling reduced analyst conviction. Article Title

About Vital Farms

Vital Farms, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol VITL, is a U.S.-based food company specializing in pasture-raised egg and dairy products. The company partners with a network of family farms across the United States to produce eggs, butter and related items under a certified humane, pasture-centric farming model. Vital Farms' supply chain emphasizes animal welfare, environmental stewardship and transparent sourcing, appealing to consumers seeking ethically produced, high-quality ingredients.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Vital Farms began by marketing pasture-raised eggs to health- and ethically minded shoppers.

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