Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

VRA has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Bradley in a report on Friday, September 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Vera Bradley Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of VRA opened at $4.07 on Wednesday. Vera Bradley has a 12-month low of $1.39 and a 12-month high of $4.58. The business’s 50 day moving average is $3.50 and its 200 day moving average is $3.57. The company has a market capitalization of $116.77 million, a PE ratio of -11.00 and a beta of 1.59.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 15th. The textile maker reported $0.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.19. Vera Bradley had a negative net margin of 3.66% and a negative return on equity of 3.80%. The business had revenue of $71.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.95 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.17) EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Vera Bradley will post -0.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Vera Bradley

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its holdings in shares of Vera Bradley by 31.6% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,038,807 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 249,161 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Vera Bradley in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,686,000. Impala Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Vera Bradley in the 4th quarter valued at about $976,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in Vera Bradley in the 1st quarter worth about $916,000. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in Vera Bradley by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 221,716 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $701,000 after acquiring an additional 14,500 shares in the last quarter. 59.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley, Inc is a lifestyle and accessories company best known for its colorful, patterned handbags and travel products. Its merchandise includes totes, crossbody bags, backpacks, wallets, accessories, luggage, apparel, home goods and gifts, with collections designed for everyday use, travel and personal style.

The company operates primarily through the Vera Bradley brand and Pura Vida, a lifestyle brand offering bracelets, jewelry, accessories and related products. Vera Bradley sells its products through company-operated stores, outlet locations, e-commerce websites and wholesale partners, including specialty retailers and department stores.