Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $2.34 and traded as high as $2.90. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $2.81, with a volume of 104,775 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on VRA shares. Zacks Research upgraded Vera Bradley from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, October 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Stock Up 1.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.52 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $2.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.35. The firm has a market cap of $79.38 million, a PE ratio of -0.81 and a beta of 1.80.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 11th. The textile maker reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.07. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 18.30% and a negative net margin of 34.23%.The firm had revenue of $62.25 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $61.69 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.27) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Vera Bradley news, Director Andrew Meslow acquired 250,000 shares of Vera Bradley stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1.98 per share, for a total transaction of $495,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 550,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,089,000. This represents a 83.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 12.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VRA. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 7.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 163,636 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 12,021 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Vera Bradley by 149.9% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 57,041 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 34,212 shares during the period. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Vera Bradley during the second quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Finally, Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the second quarter worth approximately $25,000. 59.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.