Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Pass Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $179.01 and traded as high as $191.42. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $187.45, with a volume of 404,345 shares traded.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MTN. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $197.00 price objective on shares of Vail Resorts in a report on Monday, December 23rd. UBS Group began coverage on Vail Resorts in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $185.00 price objective on the stock. Macquarie lifted their target price on shares of Vail Resorts from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Vail Resorts from $222.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Vail Resorts from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vail Resorts presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.50.

Vail Resorts Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $181.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $179.05. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) last announced its earnings results on Monday, December 9th. The company reported ($4.61) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($4.99) by $0.38. The business had revenue of $260.28 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $251.45 million. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 21.90% and a net margin of 8.07%. The business’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($4.60) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th will be paid a dividend of $2.22 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.95%. Vail Resorts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 147.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 4th quarter valued at about $347,000. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. grew its position in shares of Vail Resorts by 33.8% in the third quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 7,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,359,000 after purchasing an additional 1,970 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in shares of Vail Resorts in the third quarter valued at approximately $87,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its position in Vail Resorts by 25.1% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 14,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,449,000 after buying an additional 2,817 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arete Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Vail Resorts during the third quarter worth $278,000. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Vail Resorts Company Profile

Vail Resorts, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates mountain resorts and regional ski areas in the United States. It operates through three segments: Mountain, Lodging, and Real Estate. The Mountain segment operates 41 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas. This segment is also involved in the ancillary activities, including ski school, dining, and retail/rental operations, as well as real estate brokerage activities.