Vital Farms Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:VITL)

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Traders purchased 2,402 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 94% compared to the average volume of 1,241 call options.

Vital Farms Stock Up 6.3%

Shares of Vital Farms stock traded up $1.71 on Thursday, reaching $29.01. 530,581 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,445,679. The company has a 50-day moving average of $31.58 and a 200 day moving average of $38.29. Vital Farms has a one year low of $26.65 and a one year high of $53.13. The company has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.95 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 2.65, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The company had revenue of $198.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $191.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 37.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Vital Farms will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on VITL shares. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Monday, December 29th. 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, December 17th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Vital Farms from $48.00 to $45.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.91.

Insider Activity

In other Vital Farms news, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.92, for a total value of $798,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,422,070 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $204,992,474.40. The trade was a 0.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 101,734 shares of company stock valued at $3,350,177. 21.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Vital Farms during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Vital Farms during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $105,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Vital Farms by 896.2% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 2,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assetmark Inc. grew its stake in Vital Farms by 18.9% in the second quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 3,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $121,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the period. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.