Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Share Price Crosses Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $3.39 and traded as high as $3.47. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $3.40, with a volume of 106,349 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vera Bradley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vera Bradley has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Price Performance

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $3.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.40. The stock has a market cap of $93.00 million, a P/E ratio of -4.74 and a beta of 1.59.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, June 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.33) by $0.24. The company had revenue of $55.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.12 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 6.66% and a negative net margin of 7.02%. Analysts forecast that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.28 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Andrew Meslow acquired 24,926 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $3.73 per share, for a total transaction of $92,973.98. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 650,000 shares in the company, valued at $2,424,500. This represents a 3.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 14.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vera Bradley

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRA. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley during the second quarter worth about $1,686,000. Impala Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley in the 4th quarter worth about $976,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in Vera Bradley in the 1st quarter valued at about $916,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Vera Bradley by 133.2% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 467,127 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 266,785 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Vera Bradley by 31.6% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,038,807 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 249,161 shares during the period. 59.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Vera Bradley Company Profile

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.