Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the four research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $14.50.

Several brokerages have recently commented on VRCA. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. HC Wainwright began coverage on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $12.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

NASDAQ VRCA opened at $5.02 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $86.24 million, a PE ratio of -4.87 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $3.28 and a twelve month high of $9.82. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $5.92 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.24.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 12th. The company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.59) by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $5.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.51 million. Verrica Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 1,077.78% and a negative net margin of 47.97%. Equities analysts anticipate that Verrica Pharmaceuticals will post -1.84 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 306.7% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,711 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 44,275 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 74,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 29,256 shares during the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 139,055 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 26,308 shares during the last quarter. 42.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of topical therapies for dermatological conditions. Its lead investigational product, VP-102, is a standardized formulation of cantharidin in a pre-measured applicator designed to treat molluscum contagiosum and common warts. Verrica’s approach emphasizes consistency of dosing and patient convenience, aiming to improve upon off‐label use of existing treatments.

Beyond VP-102, Verrica is advancing VP-103, a next‐generation topical candidate intended to optimize tolerability while maintaining efficacy against viral skin lesions.