Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning.

Separately, Zacks Research raised shares of Vera Bradley from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Trading Down 5.5%

NASDAQ VRA opened at $3.29 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $91.96 million, a PE ratio of -1.91 and a beta of 1.76. Vera Bradley has a 12 month low of $1.39 and a 12 month high of $3.70. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $2.74 and its 200-day moving average price is $2.44. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The textile maker reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $84.89 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $79.73 million. Vera Bradley had a negative net margin of 17.74% and a negative return on equity of 12.00%. Equities research analysts forecast that Vera Bradley will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Vera Bradley

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Vera Bradley by 15.2% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,846,432 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,711,000 after acquiring an additional 243,900 shares in the last quarter. Peapod Lane Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Peapod Lane Capital LLC now owns 875,893 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $2,120,000 after purchasing an additional 110,485 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 542,579 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,091,000 after purchasing an additional 96,044 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in shares of Vera Bradley by 133.2% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 467,127 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 266,785 shares during the period. Finally, Impala Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vera Bradley in the 4th quarter worth approximately $976,000. 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.