Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Shares of Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $177.10, but opened at $181.10. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $178.91, with a volume of 68,617 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Vail Resorts from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Vail Resorts from $216.00 to $217.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Vail Resorts in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $185.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $250.00 to $247.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price target on Vail Resorts from $185.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.50.

Vail Resorts Stock Up 1.1 %

The company has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $182.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $179.04.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 9th. The company reported ($4.61) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.99) by $0.38. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 21.90% and a net margin of 8.07%. The firm had revenue of $260.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $251.45 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($4.60) EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.49 EPS for the current year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th will be paid a $2.22 dividend. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 26th. Vail Resorts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 147.51%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts in the third quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Vail Resorts during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in Vail Resorts by 318.8% in the 2nd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 123.5% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 165.3% during the 3rd quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 321 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.94% of the company’s stock.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates mountain resorts and regional ski areas in the United States. It operates through three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates 41 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas. This segment is also involved in the ancillary activities, including ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations, as well as real estate brokerage activities.