O Neil Global Advisors Inc. Invests $751,000 in Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT)

O Neil Global Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 18,955 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock, valued at approximately $751,000. Veracyte accounts for 0.2% of O Neil Global Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Veracyte by 34.1% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,909 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Veracyte during the 3rd quarter valued at $91,000. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Veracyte by 13.7% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 2,677 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 323 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Veracyte during the fourth quarter worth $91,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Veracyte by 21.7% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,778 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $94,000 after buying an additional 496 shares in the last quarter.

Insider Activity at Veracyte

In other Veracyte news, CFO Rebecca Chambers sold 7,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.23, for a total transaction of $302,610.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 114,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,929,819.51. This represents a 5.78 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider John Leite sold 1,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.25, for a total value of $45,412.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 73,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,192,282.50. This represents a 1.40 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 24,565 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,406 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Veracyte Trading Down 2.5 %

Veracyte stock opened at $41.05 on Friday. Veracyte, Inc. has a 52-week low of $18.61 and a 52-week high of $47.32. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $42.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $37.22.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VCYT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on Veracyte from $44.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Veracyte from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Veracyte in a research report on Friday, November 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Scotiabank raised their target price on Veracyte from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Veracyte from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.00.

Veracyte Profile

Veracyte, Inc engages in the research, development and commercialization of diagnostic products. The firm’s portfolio includes Afirma, Percepta, and Envisia. It intends to treat thyroid cancer, improve lung cancer screening, and clarify the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company was founded by Bonnie H.