BMO Capital Markets Cuts Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Price Target to $50.00

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) had its price target trimmed by BMO Capital Markets from $60.00 to $50.00 in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on VITL. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $53.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Thursday, September 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vital Farms has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.91.

Vital Farms Trading Up 3.5%

VITL opened at $33.38 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.65 and a quick ratio of 2.15. Vital Farms has a 12-month low of $28.87 and a 12-month high of $53.13. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $34.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.01.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $198.94 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $191.35 million. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Vital Farms will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Vital Farms news, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,771,424.20. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.25, for a total value of $176,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,386,190 shares in the company, valued at approximately $225,113,197.50. This trade represents a 0.08% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 86,401 shares of company stock valued at $3,008,045 over the last three months. Company insiders own 21.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Vital Farms

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VITL. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Vital Farms in the third quarter valued at $55,000. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lifted its stake in Vital Farms by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. now owns 64,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,657,000 after purchasing an additional 7,475 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Vital Farms during the third quarter worth about $967,000. XTX Topco Ltd increased its position in Vital Farms by 5.7% during the third quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 32,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,320,000 after buying an additional 1,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Vital Farms in the third quarter valued at approximately $105,000. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Vital Farms News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “Outperform” rating, adding institutional support that can help buoy the stock. Telsey Reaffirms Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson and Needham both maintained “buy” recommendations, keeping sell?side sentiment tilted positive despite volatility. DA Davidson Buy Needham Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and research notes highlight long?term growth potential (brand strength, pricing power in premium egg/butter categories), which supports medium?to?longer?term investor thesis. Seeking Alpha: Long?Term Potential
• Neutral Sentiment: Options implied volatility is surging, signaling traders expect a larger near?term price move — raises hedging and trading activity but is direction?agnostic. IV Surge Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple media pieces are assessing valuation after recent volatility, useful for investors reviewing entry points and risk/reward but not an immediate catalyst. Valuation Assessment
• Negative Sentiment: Vital Farms trimmed FY25 revenue guidance to $755M–$765M (from at least $775M), a clear near?term negative that likely pressures the stock until guidance proves conservative. Revenue Cut
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen cut its price target from $59 to $44 (still a “buy”) — a notable downward revision that narrows upside expectations. TD Cowen PT Cut (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: BMO cut its target from $60 to $50 (keeps “outperform”), another trimmed target that tempers analyst-driven upside. BMO PT Cut
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling (Matthew Ohayer sold ~5,000 shares, part of a series of sales) adds to near?term negative optics, though the stake change is small as a percentage of holdings. Insider Sale

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.