Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Sets New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report)'s share price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $163.72 and last traded at $164.49, with a volume of 139 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $164.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

MTN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded Vail Resorts from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Macquarie increased their price target on Vail Resorts from $180.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. UBS Group began coverage on Vail Resorts in a report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $185.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho increased their target price on Vail Resorts from $222.00 to $227.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Vail Resorts from $216.00 to $217.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Two 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vail Resorts has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $204.50.

Vail Resorts Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $5.93 billion, a PE ratio of 26.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50-day moving average of $175.83 and a 200 day moving average of $177.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64.

Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 analyst estimates of $251.45 million. Vail Resorts had a return on equity of 21.90% and a net margin of 8.07%. Vail Resorts's quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($4.60) EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Vail Resorts, Inc. will post 7.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 26th were given a dividend of $2.22 per share. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.61%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 26th. Vail Resorts's dividend payout ratio is presently 147.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MTN. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 4th quarter worth about $80,669,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in Vail Resorts by 170.1% in the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 546,423 shares of the company's stock worth $102,427,000 after acquiring an additional 344,095 shares during the last quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Vail Resorts by 606.6% in the 3rd quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 341,311 shares of the company's stock worth $59,487,000 after acquiring an additional 293,006 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in Vail Resorts by 42.1% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 976,468 shares of the company's stock worth $183,039,000 after acquiring an additional 289,484 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wealthfront Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Vail Resorts in the 4th quarter worth about $42,532,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.94% of the company's stock.

About Vail Resorts

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.