Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Takes Position in Vestis Co. (NYSE:VSTS)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Vestis Co. (NYSE:VSTS - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 339,308 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,056,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund owned 0.26% of Vestis as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VSTS. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in Vestis by 4.8% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 80,179 shares of the company's stock worth $1,546,000 after buying an additional 3,669 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Vestis in the 1st quarter worth about $1,069,000. Comerica Bank raised its stake in Vestis by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 168,552 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,248,000 after acquiring an additional 47,996 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in Vestis by 174.9% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 13,240 shares of the company's stock valued at $162,000 after purchasing an additional 8,423 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Vestis during the second quarter worth about $3,130,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on VSTS. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Vestis from $10.00 to $13.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Vestis from $13.60 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Baird R W cut Vestis from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Vestis from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered Vestis from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $13.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, August 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $17.43.

Vestis Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VSTS traded down $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $16.08. The company had a trading volume of 637,034 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,775,894. Vestis Co. has a 12 month low of $8.92 and a 12 month high of $22.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $14.69 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion and a P/E ratio of 100.50. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40.

Vestis Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.035 per share. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 13th. Vestis's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 87.50%.

About Vestis

Vestis Corporation provides uniform rentals and workplace supplies in the United States and Canada. Its products include uniform options, such as shirts, pants, outerwear, gowns, scrubs, high visibility garments, particulate-free garments, and flame-resistant garments, as well as shoes and accessories; and workplace supplies, including managed restroom supply services, first-aid supplies and safety products, floor mats, towels, and linens.