Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Shares of Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $3.31 and traded as high as $3.79. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $3.72, with a volume of 99,892 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on VRA. Wall Street Zen upgraded Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Trading Up 1.0%

The company’s 50-day moving average is $3.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $109.49 million, a P/E ratio of -5.58 and a beta of 1.57.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vera Bradley news, Director Andrew Meslow bought 24,926 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, June 12th. The shares were purchased 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 approximately $2,424,500. The trade was a 3.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 14.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Marquette Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley during the second quarter valued at about $360,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in Vera Bradley in the second quarter worth about $158,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the 1st quarter valued at about $916,000. Luxor Capital Group LP bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the 1st quarter valued at about $610,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Vera Bradley by 7.0% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 221,716 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $701,000 after buying an additional 14,500 shares during the period. 59.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.