Insider Selling: Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) Major Shareholder Sells 20,000 Shares of Stock

Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) major shareholder Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of Vital Farms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total transaction of $406,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 6,321,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $128,509,792.70. The trade was a 0.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Matthew Ohayer also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, February 2nd, Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of Vital Farms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.91, for a total transaction of $558,200.00.
• On Friday, January 2nd, Matthew Ohayer sold 25,000 shares of Vital Farms stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.85, for a total transaction of $771,250.00.
• On Monday, December 15th, Matthew Ohayer sold 5,000 shares of Vital Farms stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.25, for a total transaction of $176,250.00.

Vital Farms Stock Performance

VITL stock traded down $0.29 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $20.01. The company had a trading volume of 1,940,351 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,971,511. The firm has a market cap of $896.45 million, a PE ratio of 13.90 and a beta of 1.14. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $28.10 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.59. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 12 month low of $19.75 and a 12 month high of $53.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.16.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.38 by ($0.03). Vital Farms had a return on equity of 20.69% and a net margin of 8.73%.The company had revenue of $213.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.83 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.23 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 1.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VITL has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $52.00 price objective on shares of Vital Farms in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Vital Farms in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Benchmark cut shares of Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Vital Farms from $48.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $24.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Vital Farms in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vital Farms

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vital Farms by 23.1% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,377,681 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,692,000 after buying an additional 258,092 shares during the last quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Vital Farms in the third quarter worth about $1,728,000. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Vital Farms by 2.4% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 807,003 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,089,000 after acquiring an additional 18,682 shares during the last quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB acquired a new stake in Vital Farms during the 3rd quarter worth $1,903,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,571,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.59% of the company’s stock.

Vital Farms News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent reported results show meaningful year‑over‑year revenue growth and positive profitability metrics (Q4 revenue up ~28.6% YoY, positive net margin and ROE), which support the company’s fundamental recovery story. Market data & earnings summary
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks piece highlights optimism among some Wall Street bulls about Vital Farms’ long‑term potential, which could attract selective buyers who focus on growth and margin improvement. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Vital Farms
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ consensus remains mixed — some services report a “Moderate Buy” consensus, reflecting differing time horizons among brokers (near‑term caution vs. longer‑term upside). Consensus Recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research formally downgraded Vital Farms from Hold to Strong Sell, signaling increased near‑term bearishness from at least one data provider and likely contributing to selling pressure. Zacks downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple sell‑side firms (Benchmark, Needham & Company, Mizuho) have lowered ratings or trimmed expectations after the company issued a “volatile” Q1 outlook and tempered FY26 revenue growth — these downgrades increase supply as short‑term traders and risk‑sensitive investors exit. Benchmark downgrade Needham note Mizuho note
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm announced a securities‑class‑action investigation into Vital Farms over alleged misleading disclosures, introducing legal risk and potential future liabilities that typically pressure valuations until resolved. Rosen Law Firm investigation

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.