Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) Shares Gap Up - Still a Buy?

Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:MTN - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $177.10, but opened at $181.10. Vail Resorts shares last traded at $178.91, with a volume of 68,617 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

MTN has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial cut their price target on Vail Resorts from $250.00 to $247.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Vail Resorts from $185.00 to $196.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, December 9th. Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $197.00 target price on shares of Vail Resorts in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Vail Resorts in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $185.00 price target on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded 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 given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vail Resorts currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $205.50.

Vail Resorts Stock Up 1.5 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.71. The company has a market capitalization of $6.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.85, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $182.72 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $179.04.

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

Vail Resorts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 26th will be paid a $2.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 26th. This represents a $8.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.94%. Vail Resorts's payout ratio is currently 147.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vail Resorts

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Vail Resorts during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $347,000. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. raised its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 33.8% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Trust Co. N.A. now owns 7,800 shares of the company's stock worth $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 3rd quarter valued at approximately $87,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Vail Resorts by 25.1% in the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 14,053 shares of the company's stock valued at $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. 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.