Vail Resorts Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:MTN)

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 3,575 put options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 85% compared to the average daily volume of 1,935 put options.

Vail Resorts Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:MTN traded down $2.06 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $140.40. 141,039 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 710,418. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $146.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $152.34. The firm has a market cap of $5.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.56, a PEG ratio of 11.30 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.52, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.54. Vail Resorts has a 52-week low of $129.85 and a 52-week high of $191.57.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 10th. The company reported ($5.20) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($5.23) by $0.03. Vail Resorts had a net margin of 8.94% and a return on equity of 32.51%. The company had revenue of $271.03 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $273.35 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($4.61) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Vail Resorts will post 7.62 EPS for the current year.

Vail Resorts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 30th will be given a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 30th. Vail Resorts’s payout ratio is presently 130.21%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Angela A. Korch acquired 210 shares of Vail Resorts stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 7th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $155.00 per share, with a total value of $32,550.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 4,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $760,275. This represents a 4.47% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MTN. Bamco Inc. NY grew its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 4.1% during the third quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 5,702,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $852,952,000 after acquiring an additional 227,143 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its position in Vail Resorts by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 5,002,662 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,248,000 after purchasing an additional 74,528 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors increased its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 67.0% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 3,013,463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $450,724,000 after purchasing an additional 1,208,874 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 2.5% during the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,320,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,531,000 after buying an additional 31,852 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Pacific Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Vail Resorts by 23.4% during the second quarter. First Pacific Advisors LP now owns 993,735 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,146,000 after buying an additional 188,151 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.90% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on MTN shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on shares of Vail Resorts from $153.00 to $151.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $169.00 price target on Vail Resorts in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Vail Resorts in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays decreased their target price on Vail Resorts from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus restated a “buy” rating and issued a $175.00 price target (down previously from $180.00) on shares of Vail Resorts in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $176.30.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc is a leading mountain resort company that owns and operates an integrated network of ski areas, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. The company’s signature Epic Pass program offers skiers and snowboarders season‐long access to its portfolio of resorts, while ancillary services such as ski and snowboard schools, equipment rental and retail drive additional revenue.

Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Vail Resorts was formed in 1997, building on the legacy of Vail Associates, which opened the Vail ski area in 1962.