Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Separately, Zacks Research raised Vera Bradley from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Vera Bradley has a consensus rating of “Reduce”.

Vera Bradley Stock Up 3.0%

VRA opened at $3.48 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $97.27 million, a PE ratio of -2.02 and a beta of 1.76. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.73 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $2.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. Vera Bradley has a 52 week low of $1.39 and a 52 week high of $3.70.

Vera Bradley (NASDAQ:VRA) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The textile maker reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.01 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $84.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $79.73 million. Vera Bradley had a negative return on equity of 12.00% and a negative net margin of 17.74%. Analysts forecast that Vera Bradley will post -0.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vera Bradley

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Impala Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Vera Bradley during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $976,000. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Vera Bradley by 133.2% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 467,127 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,130,000 after buying an additional 266,785 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Vera Bradley by 15.2% during the third quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 1,846,432 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $3,711,000 after buying an additional 243,900 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its stake in Vera Bradley by 161.6% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 294,195 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $712,000 after buying an additional 181,750 shares during the period. Finally, Peapod Lane Capital LLC increased its position in Vera Bradley by 14.4% during the fourth quarter. Peapod Lane Capital LLC now owns 875,893 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $2,120,000 after acquiring an additional 110,485 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 59.88% of the company’s stock.

Vera Bradley News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vera Bradley this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat consensus on both EPS and revenue and management says the business returned to profitability for the quarter — reported EPS $0.09 vs. $0.01 expected; revenue $84.9M vs. $79.7M expected. This is the headline driver lifting the stock as it validates early progress in the turnaround. Vera Bradley Q4 results (MarketBeat)
• Positive Sentiment: Management changes: Ian Bickley named Chairman & CEO and Martin Layding named Chief Operating & Financial Officer — leadership appointments intended to accelerate the turnaround and give investors confidence in execution. Press release (GlobeNewswire)
• Positive Sentiment: FY2027 revenue guidance set at $255M–$270M and management says profitability will return as the transformation accelerates — guidance is roughly in line with consensus and frames a path to improved margins. That directional guidance supports the upbeat market reaction. FY27 guidance (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call commentary and analyst summaries emphasize an “early turnaround” — useful for sentiment but execution risk remains until multiple quarters of consistent improvement are delivered. Earnings call highlights (TipRanks)
• Negative Sentiment: Company-level profitability metrics remain concerning: fiscal-year net margin and ROE are negative, consensus still expects a negative full-year EPS, and the stock carries a negative trailing P/E — meaning the turnaround must continue to convince investors to re-rate the shares. VRA stock profile (MarketBeat)

Vera Bradley Company Profile

Vera Bradley, Inc (NASDAQ: VRA) is a lifestyle and accessories designer specializing in colorful, patterned handbags, luggage, travel accessories and coordinated home décor. Founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller, the company first gained recognition for its quilted cotton bags sold at craft shows before expanding into an established fashion brand. Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Vera Bradley has built a reputation for distinctive prints and functional design aimed primarily at women’s casual and travel needs.

The company’s product portfolio includes day bags, weekenders, backpacks, wallets, and organizational cases, as well as an expanding range of travel gear such as rolling luggage and travel pouches.