Luxor Capital Group LP Takes Position in Vera Bradley, Inc. $VRA

Luxor Capital Group LP acquired a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 192,998 shares of the textile maker’s stock, valued at approximately $610,000. Luxor Capital Group LP owned approximately 0.68% of Vera Bradley as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VRA. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Vera Bradley by 7.9% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 163,636 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $368,000 after buying an additional 12,021 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 149.9% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 57,041 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 34,212 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the 2nd quarter valued at $126,000. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the 2nd quarter worth $363,000. Finally, Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. 59.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Vera Bradley

In other news, Director Andrew Meslow acquired 24,926 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $3.73 per share, with a total value of $92,973.98. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 650,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,424,500. This trade represents a 3.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 14.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Vera Bradley Stock Performance

NASDAQ VRA opened at $3.69 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $104.94 million, a P/E ratio of -5.35 and a beta of 1.57. Vera Bradley, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1.39 and a fifty-two week high of $4.39.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, June 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.33) by $0.24. The firm had revenue of $55.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.12 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 6.66% and a negative net margin of 7.02%. As a group, analysts forecast that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.28 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Vera Bradley from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

About Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.