Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $177.10, but opened at $181.10. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $178.91, with a volume of 68,617 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on MTN shares. StockNews.com upgraded Vail Resorts from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Vail Resorts from $216.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Vail Resorts from $185.00 to $196.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $205.50.

Vail Resorts Trading Down 0.6 %

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $183.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $179.05. The company has a market cap of $6.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.74, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, December 9th. The company reported ($4.61) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($4.99) by $0.38. The firm had revenue of $260.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $251.45 million. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 21.90% and a net margin of 8.07%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($4.60) EPS. Research analysts predict that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 26th were paid a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 26th. Vail Resorts’s payout ratio is currently 147.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Vail Resorts in the third quarter valued at $25,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 318.8% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 201 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 123.5% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 219 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 165.3% in the third quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 321 shares of the company’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

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.