Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Downgraded to “Sell” Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $161.00 to $155.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Macquarie reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $223.00 to $216.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Vail Resorts from $218.00 to $194.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Vail Resorts from $179.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vail Resorts currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.90.

Vail Resorts Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE MTN opened at $178.42 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $175.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.70. The company has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion, a PE ratio of 29.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.13. Vail Resorts has a 12-month low of $165.00 and a 12-month high of $236.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.62, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 26th. The company reported ($4.67) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.28) by ($0.39). Vail Resorts had a net margin of 7.99% and a return on equity of 20.76%. The company had revenue of $265.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $264.84 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($3.35) EPS. Vail Resorts’s quarterly revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Vail Resorts will post 7.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 8th were issued a $2.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, October 8th. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.98%. Vail Resorts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 147.26%.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Robert A. Katz sold 9,296 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.98, for a total transaction of $1,635,910.08. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 245,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $43,284,216.78. The trade was a 3.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Angela A. Korch purchased 165 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 3rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $173.09 per share, with a total value of $28,559.85. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer now owns 2,187 shares in the company, valued at $378,547.83. This represents a 8.16 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fairbanks Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 2.5% during the second quarter. Fairbanks Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $462,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Artemis Investment Management LLP lifted its holdings in Vail Resorts by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP now owns 1,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $306,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Vail Resorts by 8.5% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 150.9% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 20.9% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 486 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. 94.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates mountain resorts and regional ski areas in the United States. It operates through three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates 41 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas. This segment is also involved in the ancillary activities, including ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations, as well as real estate brokerage activities.