Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.03 EPS

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.38 by ($0.03), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $213.55 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $212.83 million. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The company’s revenue was up 28.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.23 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Vital Farms’ conference call:

• Company delivered record 2025 results with net revenue up >25% to $759.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA surpassing $100 million for the first time at $114 million.
• Operational progress — rebuilt egg inventory, brought a third ECS production line online, completed ERP implementation with no unplanned shipment interruptions, and expanded the farm network to >600 farms — creating unconstrained supply to support scale toward the $2 billion by 2030 target.
• 2026 guidance: net revenue of $900–$920 million (>20% growth) and Adjusted EBITDA of $105–$115 million (midpoint ~12% margin), with CapEx of $140–$150 million; management says margins compress as it reinvests prior price increases into promotions to drive household penetration.
• Leadership change: founder Matt O’Hayer retired as executive chair and board member while remaining the largest shareholder and an advisor, and Russell Diez-Canseco was named Executive Chairperson and CEO — continuity emphasized but governance shift is notable.

Vital Farms Stock Down 10.8%

Shares of VITL stock traded down $2.68 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $22.11. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 12,836,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,470,308. The stock has a market cap of $990.09 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.75 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.65. Vital Farms has a 52-week low of $19.80 and a 52-week high of $53.13. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $28.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.30.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VITL. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Zacks Research cut Vital Farms from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Friday, January 30th. DA Davidson set a $47.00 price target on Vital Farms and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target 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. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.91.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Russell Diez-Canseco sold 16,734 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.05, for a total value of $586,526.70. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 649,684 shares in the company, valued at $22,771,424.20. The trade was a 2.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.91, for a total transaction of $558,200.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,341,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $176,982,612.90. The trade was a 0.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 91,734 shares of company stock valued at $2,921,477 over the last quarter. 21.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vital Farms

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Vital Farms in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Vital Farms in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its stake in Vital Farms by 4,382.6% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,031 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,008 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Vital Farms by 225.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,452 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Vital Farms during the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Institutional investors own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

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.