Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. Acquires 42,000 Shares of Vital Farms, Inc. $VITL

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Vital Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:VITL) by 100.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 84,000 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,000 shares during the period. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. owned 0.19% of Vital Farms worth $2,683,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Vital Farms in the third quarter worth approximately $55,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 896.2% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 2,330 shares during the period. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vital Farms during the 3rd quarter worth $105,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 53.6% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 3,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 1,116 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Vital Farms by 48.3% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,369 shares of the company’s stock worth $139,000 after buying an additional 1,098 shares during the period. 98.59% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Vital Farms from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $35.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 27th. TD Cowen downgraded shares of Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $25.00 to $16.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Benchmark downgraded shares of Vital Farms from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective on shares of Vital Farms from $35.00 to $26.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 27th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $36.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Vital Farms

In related news, major shareholder Matthew Ohayer sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.33, for a total transaction of $406,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,321,190 shares in the company, valued at $128,509,792.70. This represents a 0.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Karl Khoury bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $18.45 per share, with a total value of $92,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 119,789 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,210,107.05. The trade was a 4.36% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 21.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vital Farms News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vital Farms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance examines Vital Farms’ “Roadside Diner” marketing campaign and asks whether it can deepen the brand moat with consumers and farmers — a strategy that could support longer‑term retail sales and loyalty if it drives repeat purchases. Can Vital Farms’ (VITL) Roadside Diner Campaign Strengthen Its Brand Moat With Consumers And Farmers?
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms (including Faruqi & Faruqi, Schall, Pomerantz, Rosen, Berger Montague, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, Robbins LLP and others) have issued investor alerts about a securities‑class action covering purchases from May 8, 2025 to Feb 26, 2026 and are soliciting lead‑plaintiff candidates — that creates an ongoing legal overhang and potential settlement risk that tends to pressure shares. VITL SHAREHOLDER REMINDER: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Reminds Vital Farms (VITL) Investors of Securities Class Action Deadline on May 26, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: At least one notice highlights specific allegations that management concealed a material weakness in revenue‑process internal controls — such allegations increase uncertainty about past financials and raise the chance of restatements, regulatory scrutiny, or larger settlements. VITL Lawsuit Alleges Management Allegedly Concealed Internal Controls Weakness
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks previews Vital Farms’ upcoming earnings and says analysts expect a decline in earnings — combined with the company’s recent quarterly EPS miss, this raises near‑term execution risk and could amplify downside if guidance disappoints. Analysts Estimate Vital Farms (VITL) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for

Vital Farms Price Performance

NASDAQ VITL opened at $14.18 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $607.61 million, a P/E ratio of 9.85 and a beta of 1.21. Vital Farms, Inc. has a 1 year low of $11.80 and a 1 year high of $53.13. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.21. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Vital Farms (NASDAQ:VITL) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.35 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.38 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $213.55 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $212.83 million. Vital Farms had a net margin of 8.73% and a return on equity of 20.69%. Vital Farms’s revenue for the quarter was up 28.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.23 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vital Farms, Inc. will post 0.86 EPS for the current year.

Vital Farms Company Profile

Vital Farms, traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol VITL, is a U.S.-based food company specializing in pasture-raised egg and dairy products. The company partners with a network of family farms across the United States to produce eggs, butter and related items under a certified humane, pasture-centric farming model. Vital Farms’ supply chain emphasizes animal welfare, environmental stewardship and transparent sourcing, appealing to consumers seeking ethically produced, high-quality ingredients.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Vital Farms began by marketing pasture-raised eggs to health- and ethically minded shoppers.