Virtra Inc (VTSI) Quote

Well, only about 10 days to find out.

$16.52 closing price I believe is our highest closing price ever....I think we are just scratching the surface. $20 around the corner.

Last years cutoff was $159mil

Who knows, market cap today is $175mil (as per yahoo finance)

The technology to do that even a few years ago would have been tough, but now it's everywhere and it wouldn't even be that expensive to implement so presumably they're doing it on some level already as you suggest. Just need speech recognition on top of some sort of LLM optimized for distressed/agitated/unwell person. You could let it loose to say literally anything as the tech exists to make believable mouth movements for generated speech. Then, whatever the latest psych studies show as de-escalatory language is more likely to generate best outcome (maybe even with scores for volume/tone etc), but with some randomization element since sometimes you can say all the right things and the person still shoots.

Also, in some of the demos I had watched before there is a lag between the person in the scenario acting and the sim responding. Presumably this is because the operator of the sim has to figure out which branch on the tree to select next. Now, the sim itself can understand and progress down the tree so the situation will feel more real time.

Rereading the CC transcript, Givens did mention the healthcare market. I just didn't remember this below comment.

"...Our platform focuses on training soft skills, including managing mental health crises, recognizing key indicators, and identifying decision points. This approach directly engages our core market and also expands our reach into adjacent markets, such as hospitals and care facilities, just to name a few..."

What I did remember from the CC was Givens mentioning AI as follows:

"...Military small arms training is shifting towards a more realistic and mission-specific scenario integrated with AI-assisted training and evaluation..."

That mention of AI stuck in my head. Why? Because when I discussed Virtra's training scenarios with a police officer friend, after reviewing some of the videos I sent him, my friend said he felt if the decision making was more interactive directly with vocal cues, then the training would be of more interest and value to him.

So, I'm sort of curious as to what Virta is doing with integrating AI into its content. Anyone know?

Feels like a huge upside move is coming. This is a coiled spring. Just the activity and volume, there are hardly any sellers. Every 5k buy shoots this up. If we get a 2 million share volume day I could see this over $20 quickly.

Interesting PR this morning in that it points out quick penetration into a security market that I wasn't even aware Virtra was pursuing. This headset application of their content opened the door to this security market opportunity. This will also give them other opportunities in other sectors requiring better trained security personnel like, for example, the education sector at K-12 schools, colleges and universities. A better line of trained defense before better trained police arrive.

Because of the screens, belts, etc everyone thinks of Virtra as a hardware company, but they're really a content production company that can use that content across its various hardware platforms with additional accessories to heighten the realism of their scenarios.

Just sold 20% of holdngs @ 15.60. Sold 10% earlier this month in the 15s, re-acquired in the 13s and 12s. Kicking myself for not getting more when it got down near 11.

Interesting find…. Related to Givens and VirTra
https://www.vialytix.com/use-cases

VirTra to Introduce V-XR Training Solution at IAHSS Exhibition, Signaling Increased Commitment to Healthcare Security Training

CHANDLER, Ariz. — April 29, 2024 — VirTra, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTSI) (“VirTra”), a global provider of judgmental use-of-force training simulators and firearms training simulators for the law enforcement and military markets, announced its participation at the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS) Conference and Exhibition in Orlando from April 29 to May 1, 2024. As a first-time vendor, VirTra will introduce its new V-XR headset training solution at the event, highlighting its advanced functionality and ability to meet diverse training demands, particularly in healthcare settings.

The IAHSS Annual Conference and Exhibition is a key event for healthcare’s top security, safety, and emergency management leaders to network, meet with vendors, and find solutions for their challenges. This year, VirTra joins the expo to demonstrate the effectiveness of its new V-XR training solution, a compact, lightweight headset training simulator with a focus on de-escalation scenarios. The headset features hyper-realistic characters created using volumetric video capture and pass-through to reduce motion sickness for the user.

VirTra’s recent entry into the healthcare market began last month when it partnered with Ascension St. John Hospital (“Ascension”) to equip its team with advanced training simulators. VirTra’s V-180 was a practical application of Ascension’s grant funds.

Darrel Long, Director of Security for Ascension Oklahoma, noted the impact, stating, “We can implement frequent training in scenarios representing our environment. The V-180 is a tremendous asset and allows all security officers within the Ascension St. John Health System to ensure patient and associate safety.”
Ascension also reported the system’s success in a recent case study, available to download on VirTra’s website. The study highlights the simulator’s wide range of training scenarios and how it allows the entire staff, not just the security team, to practice skills that keep them safe.

As VirTra’s role in healthcare security expands, multiple other healthcare organizations have already adopted its technologies. Ohio Healthcare PD, TriHealth Cincinnati, Marion Hospital in Indiana, Indiana University Hospital, Health First Security in Florida, and several VA locations have begun training their teams using VirTra simulators.

John Givens, CEO of VirTra, stated, “Every day, medical providers around the country go beyond the call of duty for their patients. VirTra supports every initiative within our capabilities to ensure the security of hospital staff while on the job. With our V-XR training solution, we are not only enhancing safety in healthcare environments but also demonstrating its cross-market functionality, allowing us to begin expansion beyond our core law enforcement and military markets. I’m confident that the training provided by our simulators will instill a renewed sense of safety among hospital staff, patients, and their visitors.”

VirTra’s entry into healthcare security coincides with an increase in unruly and sometimes violent behavior directed at healthcare providers. A 2022 report from the American College of Emergency Physicians revealed a significant increase in healthcare violence, with 55% of physicians surveyed saying they had been physically assaulted while at work. With the increased demand for hospital security, VirTra is stepping up to provide advanced use-of-force, de-escalation, and other forms of simulator-based training to its healthcare partners.

Last years cutoff was $159mil. How is that any different than $300mil?

You might very well be right.
The bullish sentiment on Social Media is spreading....

The 2023 cutoff is a verifiable fact available with a quick google search. You're not even close to it. As far as the 2024 cutoff, there are 2000 companies in the Russell 2000 so you can get a good feel for where the cutoff will be just by looking at how that cohort has performed over the past 12 months. It's not even close to what you're saying.

If I am wrong, it’s not the first time. With the Russell 2000 we will not know with any degree of certainty until the market closes on April 30th since that is the market cap that will be used for consideration. Then we will not know with 100% certainty until June 10th when the additions and subtractions are considered locked.

If VTSI closes at over $27 on Tuesday April 30th they might make it. My guess is it will take a $327mil market cap to make it this year, so about a $30 stock price.

I read it is $250M market cap. This puts us north of $21 right?

It doesn’t hurt to have Mark Gomes pumping the stock… although I worry he is a fickle investor and could turn to a short in a moment’s notice.

You are incorrect

Thanks!

It will take a market cap near $300mil to make Russell 2000. Last years cutoff was about $296mil.

Rumors are that Virtra is one whisker away from qualifying for the Russell 2000 index. Don't know if this is true, don't know if that will change anything.

Sold a bunch @ 15, bought back @ 12 couldn't resist.

We going up first thing next week! Wait and see! 😉

Still here. I am just a cry baby sometimes lol....if you sell you have to have something else you think is a better investment and I don't see anything out there better than this. I think it has tremendous upside. With such a low market cap we could double and still be cheap compared to other huge market cap companies that are losing money

So you didn't move on?

Sell volume has diminished. We are moving up on hardly any volume. All buys! If we get solid news and good volume we would hit new highs in short order.

Very positive, thanks Gman.

The Top Manufacturing Stocks to Buy in April 2024
Strong buy industrials that offer great returns
22h ago · By Noah Bolton, InvestorPlace Contributor

These are a number of manufacturing companies that investors should keep an eye on.
-Limbach Holdings (LMB): Recently beat analyst expectations for earnings and is still trading at a fair valuation.
-VirTra (VTSI): A small-cap company that has experienced impressive growth.
-General Electric (GE): A robust business model that has seen growth within its aerospace and defense segment.
VirTra (NASDAQ:VTSI) is a simulation equipment manufacturer that provides training technology primarily for the military, law enforcement, and other commercial customers. It offers virtual simulation equipment with varying degrees of wrap-around screens and virtual reality headsets.

On April 1, VTSI reported earnings for the fourth quarter full year 2023, in which it stated that total revenue increased by 34% and net income more than quadrupled to over $8 million.

Following this earnings report, the increase in overall revenue, gross profit, and net income sent shares of VTSI skyrocketing by over 40%. Its management also stated that the overall growth in profits was led by operational changes like streamlining its manufacturing facility.

On April 18, VirTra announced that it received a prototype contract to create an augmented reality program for the U.S. Army, for which Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) was the primary contractor.

VTSI is a rapidly growing small-cap company that offers investors increased upside potential due to its strong earnings growth and share price appreciation.
https://investorplace.com/2024/04/the-top-manufacturing-stocks-to-buy-in-april-2024/

Any little bit helps!

VBS4 and VR/XR related industry news

Crowd Simulation Training Integrated with VBS4
https://www.halldale.com/articles/22669-mst-crowd-simulation-training-integrated-with-vbs4


Roland Geraerts, CEO of uCrowds, said “This is our first product integration with a military training simulation, and we are very happy with the results”.

uCrowds offers VBS4 users the ability to quickly generate crowds and control their behavior, either through the SimCrowds application or directly in VBS4. For training, this means that tactical simulations can incorporate massive numbers of civilians that will behave in a believable manner, such as queuing, fleeing, and stadium evacuations, depending on the type of scenario.

VR/XR To The Fore At Immersive Tech Summit
https://www.halldale.com/articles/22655-cat-vr-xr-to-the-fore-at-immersive-tech-summit
"Anything difficult or dangerous to perform on real equipment, whether for operators or potential clients, necessitates simulation and training, hence the integration of VR and AR," Andy explained to The Orlando Life publication.

It's not an article it's just a bullet point summary of the PR.

VirTra (NASDAQ:VTSI) Thursday announced a $5.9 million order for prototypes to support the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System program.
This order represents an important continuation in VirTra's (VTSI) engagement with the IVAS program.
VirTra will recognize revenue in three phases with reliability testing, soldier assessment, and final hardware deliveries, all scheduled in 2024.
The order includes bolt kits and magazines and high-pressure air fill stations for the IVAS program specifications, with Microsoft (MSFT) as the prime contractor.

Does anyone have access to the seekingalpha article and could copy paste here?

https://seekingalpha.com/news/4090937-virtra-wins-59m-prototype-contract-from-us-army-ivas-prime-contractor-microsoft

Thanks!

Here ya go, Joe.
https://youtu.be/EFR2y0J3RUc
Here's the other item discussed:
https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/enhanced-night-vision-goggle-binocular-envg-b

Teeroy: for some reason your links are not showing up in the main post

31 minute mark

Sharpcity. If you want to say it was negative I am ok with that as that is your opinion.

Do you have to complain about everything? Why do they need to wait until q1 earnings? Of course Microsoft has given money to others as part of this program. They aren’t building an ecosystem of products all by themselves. Similar to Virtra in 2020, it was possible to find others who were involved and bound by similar NDA’s

HELLYAH!

Given’s wording seems very careful around today’s contract being part of a [IVAS/MS] “series of contracts”. It’s hard to know if the $3M downpayment contract is of the same “Series,” or not….

John Givens, CEO of VirTra, stated, “This additional prototype contract award, in support of the IVAS program, is a testament to the reliability and performance of our technology. This series of awards has implemented new features and tuned our design to meet the rigorous requirements of the program. Our enhanced production capabilities and investment in new technologies have solidified our contract execution by improving quality and capacity.”

It is safe to say the $3M downpayment is for a large contract, perhaps to front purchasing funds and resources/capacity for a large volume order. Capacity of what though - could be IVAS related or something else. And is the downpayment 1%, 5%, 10% or 20% of the total contract value?

Regardless, the answers are all positive for us all.

Hopefully the $3m down payment in Q4 and the Microsoft contract are unrelated......

Great PR. I would have liked this PR released when 1st Q earnings were released. Also being Microsoft $6 million is pennies to them, hopefully this becomes $600 million or more. I would like to know if Microsoft has other vendors that they might have given $$$'s to for the same project.
Lets go longs.

"These advancements highlight the Company’s readiness for mass production and commitment to fulfilling the U.S. Army’s expanding needs."

Their main product line is growing. Then they introduced a new product that appears to be a huge success and is shipping soon I believe.

And ivas alone looks huge.

Just be patient people. This won't stay under $25 for long.

This newly announced contract is for prototypes. How many prototypes does a company provide for $5.9 million? Are any competitors also providing prototypes? If VTSI's prototypes are well accepted, will this lead to a larger future production order? 🤔

Prime Contractor Microsoft.... I wonder.... when IVAS gets rolling.... Microsoft says we might as well buy them out.... at a nice premium 😉

VirTra Awarded $5.9M Prototype Contract from U.S. Army IVAS Prime Contractor Microsoft

CHANDLER, Ariz., April 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirTra, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTSI) (“VirTra” or the “Company”), a global provider of judgmental use of force training simulators, firearms training simulators for the law enforcement and military markets, today announced a $5.9 million order for prototypes to support the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (“IVAS”) program. This order represents an important continuation in VirTra’s engagement with the IVAS program. VirTra will recognize revenue in three phases with reliability testing, soldier assessment, and final hardware deliveries, all scheduled in 2024.

The order includes bolt kits and magazines and high-pressure air fill stations for the IVAS program specifications with Microsoft as the prime contractor. In its role as the prime contractor, Microsoft ensures cohesive project delivery, integrating VirTra’s training hardware with the objectives of the IVAS program. The recoil hardware has been engineered with a focus on intense environmental conditions, performance and reliability. To achieve uninterrupted and realistic recoil feedback, the fill stations utilize high-pressure air (HPA) technology reaching 3,000 psi. The hardware has been engineered for a realistic training experience for our military personnel.

John Givens, CEO of VirTra, stated, “This additional prototype contract award, in support of the IVAS program, is a testament to the reliability and performance of our technology. This series of awards has implemented new features and tuned our design to meet the rigorous requirements of the program. Our enhanced production capabilities and investment in new technologies have solidified our contract execution by improving quality and capacity.”

Over the past two years, VirTra has significantly expanded its production capacity and improved operating efficiencies, while refining its hardware designs. These advancements highlight the Company’s readiness for mass production and commitment to fulfilling the U.S. Army’s expanding needs. In support of this effort, Microsoft has scheduled on-location Soldier Assessments at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in 2024.

The U.S. Army’s requirements highlight the industry’s shift towards more advanced and immersive training experiences for servicemembers. VirTra’s recoil hardware will provide enhanced training capabilities and readiness to support improved standards for military training and set the stage for future advancements in defense technology.

For more information about VirTra’s advanced recoil kits and other innovative training solutions, please visit VirTra’s website: https://www.virtra.com/tool/military-recoil-kits/

About Integrated Visual Augmentation System (“IVAS”) Program
The Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) provides a single platform that allows the Soldier to Fight, Rehearse, and Train. It leverages tactical Mixed Reality to increase the Warfighter’s battlefield awareness and ability to rapidly identify potential threats and take decisive action. The IVAS enables tactical planning, networked information sharing, and an augmented reality Synthetic Training Environment (STE) that will enable Warfighters to fight 25 “bloodless battles” before engaging the enemy.

The Army is developing IVAS to respond to an erosion in close combat capability relative to pacing threats identified in the 2018 National Defense Strategy via a Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototype pathway. IVAS integrates next generation 24/7 situational awareness tools and high-resolution simulations to deliver a single platform that improves Soldier sensing, decision making, target acquisition, and target engagement. These capabilities will provide the increased lethality, mobility, and situational awareness necessary to achieve overmatch against our current and future adversaries.

Great announcement this morning! Confirms a lot of what many suspected! And another 6 mil on the books for 2024 and could be a monster after that!!! Very exciting!

Any thoughts of how much of the 19.4M in backlog on Dec 31, 2023 will be recognized in Q1’24 and what the backlog was on Dec 31, 2022 for their 10M in last Q1?

To the positive, Givens has demonstrated significant improvements in their operational efficiencies and order fulfillment times, which reduces backlog.

But I also wonder how much of the current backlog is for the program they just received the 3M milestone payment and if the size and nature of it implies a larger program with bigger purchases or longer leadtime components. The latter would spread the backlog out over time again.

Last years Q1 was $10mil with $2.9mil of net income.

They might come close this Q1 on revenue but no way they touch that sort of net income. Analyst estimates are at $9mil revenue and $1.35mil net income.

If Q1 is light the stock will be in big short term trouble. But if it closes the gap and turns up and Q1 is ok then it goes up strong.

…..so, what sort of Q1 numbers would be “light” or “strong”?

what goes up sometimes come down. VTSI use to PR small contracts and it did nothing to help the stock price. We need to have faith in Givens he has ran his other company probably the same way. I am willing to wait until the Q1 release date

Another great day in VTSI land. More market cap just dripping away. More lack of posts or update from the company. What is givens doing different than ferris? Months to by without an update or a press release. After q1 results come in light we will be back in single digits like we were a few weeks ago.

Wonder if this dips below $10 again. Shaking my head. For some reason VTSI can never sustain its gains. Same trading activity every time. I'll buy more again under $10