116,199 Shares in Versant Corporation $VSNT Acquired by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp purchased a new stake in Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 116,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,184,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Citizens National Bank Trust Department acquired a new position in shares of Versant in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Versant during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Parallel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Versant during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Advocate Investing Services LLC purchased a new stake in Versant in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt purchased a new stake in Versant in the first quarter valued at $35,000.

Versant Trading Down 1.3%

NASDAQ VSNT opened at $40.97 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $37.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.95. Versant Corporation has a one year low of $27.17 and a one year high of $59.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a current ratio of 2.38. The firm has a market cap of $5.69 billion and a PE ratio of 11.77.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.64 billion for the quarter. Analysts expect that Versant Corporation will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Versant’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.10%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VSNT has been the topic of several research reports. TD Cowen raised their price objective on Versant from $35.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research downgraded Versant from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Versant from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price target on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Versant currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $43.20.

Versant Profile

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company’s products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company’s Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.