Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

Vericel Corporation (NASDAQ:VCEL) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $37.20, but opened at $41.62. Vericel shares last traded at $39.8180, with a volume of 566,990 shares trading hands.

The biotechnology company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.12. Vericel had a net margin of 2.85% and a return on equity of 2.47%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.02) earnings per share. Vericel has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on VCEL shares. Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Vericel from $61.00 to $58.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Vericel in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Vericel from $46.00 to $41.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Zacks Research raised Vericel from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, BTIG Research lowered Vericel from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.40.

Institutional Trading of Vericel

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of VCEL. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Vericel by 244.6% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 859,486 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $35,755,000 after acquiring an additional 610,045 shares during the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Vericel by 30.7% during the 2nd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 1,784,927 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $75,949,000 after acquiring an additional 419,183 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Vericel by 19.5% in the 2nd quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,463,590 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $104,826,000 after buying an additional 401,990 shares during the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its stake in Vericel by 62.5% in the second quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 997,291 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $42,435,000 after buying an additional 383,498 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Congress Asset Management Co. boosted its stake in Vericel by 18.0% in the second quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 1,742,324 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $74,136,000 after buying an additional 265,606 shares in the last quarter.

Vericel Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $2.02 billion, a PE ratio of 343.30 and a beta of 1.41. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $33.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.74.

About Vericel

Vericel Corporation, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and distribution of cellular therapies for sports medicine and severe burn care markets in North America. The company markets autologous cell therapy products comprising MACI, an autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane for the repair of symptomatic, and single or multiple full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee; Epicel, a permanent skin replacement humanitarian use device for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with deep-dermal or full-thickness burns; and NexoBrid, a biological orphan product for eschar removal in adults with deep partial-thickness and/or full-thickness thermal burns.