Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) Stock Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $42.26. Versant shares last traded at $42.13, with a volume of 1,739,480 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on VSNT. Weiss Ratings upgraded Versant from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Versant in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen began coverage on Versant in a report on Monday, March 2nd. They set a “hold” rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 target price on shares of Versant in a report on Monday. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Versant from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $40.40.

Versant Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 2.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $39.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.02 billion and a PE ratio of 21.44.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.30. The firm had revenue of $1.69 billion for the quarter. On average, analysts expect that Versant Corporation will post 4.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st were issued a dividend of $0.375 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 1st. Versant’s dividend payout ratio is presently 75.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gerald L. Hassell bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $36.07 per share, for a total transaction of $360,700.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 12,680 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $457,367.60. The trade was a 373.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael Aaron Conway bought 1,350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $36.14 per share, for a total transaction of $48,789.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $134,729.92. This represents a 56.77% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 154,350 shares of company stock worth $5,679,039. Corporate insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Versant

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Essential Partners LLC bought a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth about $82,000. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth about $25,317,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC bought a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth about $2,544,000. Bull Harbor Capital LLC bought a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth about $352,000. Finally, South Dakota Investment Council bought a new stake in Versant during the first quarter worth about $1,382,000.

Versant Company Profile

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.