Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $41.80.

VSNT has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Versant from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Versant from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 price target on shares of Versant in a research note on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th.

Versant Trading Down 1.2%

VSNT opened at $35.90 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $39.33. The company has a market capitalization of $5.07 billion and a PE ratio of 18.04. The company has a quick ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Versant has a 1-year low of $27.17 and a 1-year high of $59.00.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter. Equities analysts predict that Versant will post 4.38 EPS for the current year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Versant’s payout ratio is currently 75.38%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VSNT. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP bought a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at $41,747,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter worth about $26,331,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,317,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter valued at about $24,475,000. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA acquired a new stake in shares of Versant during the 4th quarter valued at about $24,134,000.

Versant Company Profile

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company’s products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company’s Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.