Village Super Market (NASDAQ:VLGEA) Trading Up 6.4% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Village Super Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:VLGEA) shot up 6.4% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $40.07 and last traded at $40.01. 44,158 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average session volume of 50,639 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.59.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Village Super Market from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen raised Village Super Market from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Village Super Market presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Village Super Market Stock Up 5.2%

The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $43.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $583.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.36 and a beta of 0.43.

Village Super Market (NASDAQ:VLGEA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 2nd. The company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter. Village Super Market had a return on equity of 11.52% and a net margin of 2.37%.The company had revenue of $572.59 million during the quarter.

Village Super Market Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 2nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Village Super Market’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.18%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Orden John L. Van sold 8,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.88, for a total value of $351,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 32,023 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,405,169.24. This trade represents a 19.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Sumas sold 12,703 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.30, for a total transaction of $524,633.90. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 102,938 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,251,339.40. The trade was a 10.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 33,405 shares of company stock valued at $1,423,892. 59.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Village Super Market

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Village Super Market by 4.7% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 7,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in Village Super Market by 60.6% during the 4th quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 1,195 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 451 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in Village Super Market by 2.6% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 17,677 shares of the company’s stock worth $747,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Village Super Market by 121.9% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 932 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 512 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its position in shares of Village Super Market by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 8,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $342,000 after purchasing an additional 547 shares in the last quarter. 39.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Village Super Market

Village Super Market, Inc is a publicly traded supermarket operator headquartered in Springfield, New Jersey. The company operates a network of ShopRite-branded grocery stores under a membership agreement with Wakefern Food Corp., one of the largest retailer-owned cooperatives in the United States. Through its ShopRite banner, Village Super Market serves communities across northern and central New Jersey, offering a full range of grocery products from fresh produce, meat, seafood and bakery items to dairy, deli and health and beauty merchandise.

The company’s supermarkets feature an array of in-store services designed to meet diverse customer needs.