UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Makes New Investment in Versant Corporation $VSNT

UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC acquired a new position in shares of Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund acquired 335,749 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,090,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Citizens National Bank Trust Department acquired a new position in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Parallel Advisors LLC bought a new position in Versant in the first quarter valued at $32,000. Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt bought a new position in Versant in the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VSNT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on shares of Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Versant in a research report on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Weiss Ratings raised Versant from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Finally, Arete Research upgraded shares of Versant from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $40.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.20.

Versant Stock Performance

Versant stock opened at $38.61 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.38 and a quick ratio of 2.38. Versant Corporation has a 1 year low of $27.17 and a 1 year high of $59.00. The business has a 50 day moving average of $37.57 and a 200-day moving average of $38.02. The company has a market capitalization of $5.36 billion and a P/E ratio of 11.09.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.39 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.64 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts predict that Versant Corporation will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Versant Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $1.50 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. Versant’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.10%.

About Versant

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.