Versant Corporation $VSNT Stock: M&G PLC Grows Position

M&G PLC lifted its holdings in Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 388,852 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 29,213 shares during the quarter. M&G PLC’s holdings in Versant were worth $12,443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VSNT. Citizens National Bank Trust Department acquired a new position in shares of Versant during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Versant during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Versant during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in Versant by 253.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 951 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 682 shares in the last quarter.

Versant Price Performance

NASDAQ VSNT opened at $34.93 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $33.66 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.29. Versant Corporation has a 52 week low of $27.17 and a 52 week high of $59.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 2.08.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.31. Versant had a net margin of 11.09% and a return on equity of 8.32%. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that Versant Corporation will post 4.27 earnings per share for the current year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 4th will be given a $0.3750 dividend. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 4th. Versant’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on VSNT. Weiss Ratings lowered Versant from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $43.00 target price on shares of Versant in a research report on Friday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Versant from $43.00 to $39.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. Zacks Research upgraded Versant from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 16th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Versant in a report on Thursday, September 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $41.00 target price on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $41.71.

Versant Company Profile

Versant is a media and entertainment company formed from Comcast’s separation of several NBCUniversal cable networks and digital businesses. Its portfolio includes news brands CNBC and MS NOW, along with entertainment and sports networks such as USA Network, Syfy, E!, Oxygen and Golf Channel. The company also operates digital and consumer services including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine. Through its television networks and online platforms, Versant serves audiences primarily in the United States, with some brands and services reaching international markets.