Van ECK Associates Corp Buys 2,957 Shares of Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL)

Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) by 112.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,579 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,957 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Vital Farms were worth $210,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Mendota Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth about $62,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 87.1% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,414 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 1,124 shares during the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth about $199,000. Finally, Dakota Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 3rd quarter worth about $200,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Vital Farms Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of VITL stock opened at $34.90 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.31 and a 200-day moving average of $35.67. The company has a quick ratio of 2.81, a current ratio of 3.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 12-month low of $16.18 and a 12-month high of $48.41. The firm has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.16 and a beta of 0.90.

Insider Transactions at Vital Farms

In related news, insider Joanne Bal sold 28,246 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.10, for a total value of $1,273,894.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 59,371 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,677,632.10. This trade represents a 32.24 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Kathryn Mckeon sold 12,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.08, for a total transaction of $517,584.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 46,203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,944,222.24. This trade represents a 21.02 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 190,202 shares of company stock worth $7,855,957 in the last quarter. Insiders own 27.60% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VITL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Vital Farms from $45.00 to $41.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $52.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $34.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Craig Hallum began coverage on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.57.

Vital Farms Company Profile

Vital Farms, Inc, a food company, provides pasture-raised products in the United States. It offers shell eggs, butter, hard-boiled eggs, and liquid whole eggs. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.