Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation, one has assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $37.75.

VSNT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Versant in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on Versant in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. They set a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Versant in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $34.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Versant in a report on Monday, March 2nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $32.00 price target for the company. Finally, Arete Research raised Versant to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Versant news, Director David C. Novak bought 143,000 shares of Versant stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $36.85 per share, with a total value of $5,269,550.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 158,560 shares in the company, valued at $5,842,936. The trade was a 919.02% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Michael Aaron Conway bought 1,350 shares of Versant stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $36.14 per share, with a total value of $48,789.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 3,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $134,729.92. This trade represents a 56.77% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 154,350 shares of company stock valued at $5,679,039 over the last three months. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Versant

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VSNT. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in Versant in the fourth quarter valued at $24,134,000. Cheviot Value Management LLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the fourth quarter valued at $795,000. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the fourth quarter valued at $646,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the fourth quarter valued at $203,000. Finally, Barclays PLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the fourth quarter valued at $112,000.

Versant Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VSNT traded down $0.72 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $37.81. 129,846 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,412,859. The company has a quick ratio of 4.02, a current ratio of 4.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Versant has a 1-year low of $27.17 and a 1-year high of $59.00.

Versant Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 1st.

Versant Company Profile

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company’s products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company’s Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.