Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

Vera Bradley, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRA)’s stock price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.92 and traded as high as $3.48. Vera Bradley shares last traded at $3.44, with a volume of 203,881 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on VRA. Wall Street Zen raised Vera Bradley from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 10th. Zacks Research raised Vera Bradley from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $3.61 and a 200-day moving average of $2.93. The stock has a market cap of $93.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.92 and a beta of 1.70.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The textile maker reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.08. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 17.74%.The firm had revenue of $84.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $79.73 million. On average, research analysts anticipate that Vera Bradley, Inc. will post -0.34 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vera Bradley

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Saba Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in Vera Bradley during the 1st quarter worth about $916,000. Luxor Capital Group LP acquired a new position in Vera Bradley during the 1st quarter worth about $610,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Vera Bradley by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 221,716 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $701,000 after purchasing an additional 14,500 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Vera Bradley by 31.6% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,038,807 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 249,161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its position in Vera Bradley by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 340,083 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $823,000 after purchasing an additional 55,120 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 59.88% of the company’s stock.

Vera Bradley Company Profile

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.