Vital Farms’ (VITL) Buy Rating Reiterated at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) in a report issued on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $45.00 target price on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Vital Farms from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Vital Farms from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $49.91.

Vital Farms Stock Performance

Shares of VITL stock opened at $33.38 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $34.32 and its 200 day moving average is $39.01. Vital Farms has a 52-week low of $28.87 and a 52-week high of $53.13. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The firm has a market cap of $1.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.29 and a beta of 1.06.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.30 by $0.06. Vital Farms had a return on equity of 20.19% and a net margin of 8.50%.The firm had revenue of $198.94 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $191.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.16 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 37.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vital Farms will post 1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Vital Farms news, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.17, for a total transaction of $829,250.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,391,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $211,995,772.30. The trade was a 0.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total transaction of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $22,771,424.20. This represents a 2.51% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 86,401 shares of company stock worth $3,008,045. 21.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VITL. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of Vital Farms by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 56,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,179,000 after buying an additional 8,008 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 248.4% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 37,460 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,141,000 after acquiring an additional 26,708 shares during the period. Aurora Investment Counsel raised its holdings in Vital Farms by 36.5% during the second quarter. Aurora Investment Counsel now owns 49,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,900,000 after purchasing an additional 13,202 shares in the last quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Vital Farms in the second quarter worth approximately $7,665,000. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in Vital Farms by 206.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 25,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $994,000 after purchasing an additional 17,387 shares in the last quarter. 98.59% of the stock is currently 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.