Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Vericel to “strong buy.” Analysts overall rate the stock “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $60.80; HC Wainwright raised its target to $75.
• Quarterly results beat expectations: Vericel reported EPS of $0.27 versus $0.06 expected and revenue of $85.37 million, up 26.5% year over year. The company also raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $344 million–$346 million.
• Insiders sold a combined 22,000 shares over the last quarter, while institutional ownership changes included Aberdeen Group increasing its position by 204.7% in the third quarter.

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on Vericel from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Vericel from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Truist Financial set a $65.00 price objective on Vericel in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Vericel in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Vericel in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vericel has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $60.80.

Vericel Trading Up 5.5%

VCEL stock opened at $54.62 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $41.01 and a 200-day moving average price of $38.90. Vericel has a 12 month low of $28.95 and a 12 month high of $55.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 86.19 and a beta of 1.08.

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The biotechnology company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $85.37 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.95 million. Vericel had a net margin of 7.91% and a return on equity of 6.91%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 26.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.10 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Vericel will post 0.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Robert L. Md Zerbe sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.23, for a total value of $156,690.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 32,995 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,723,328.85. This represents a 8.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Siegal sold 1,500 shares of Vericel stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.90, for a total value of $79,350.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $66,601.10. The trade was a 54.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 22,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,128,340 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vericel

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VCEL. Aberdeen Group plc raised its position in Vericel by 204.7% in the third quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 2,164,250 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $86,873,000 after acquiring an additional 1,454,012 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Vericel by 53.0% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,052 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $91,000 after buying an additional 711 shares during the period. Gagnon Securities LLC boosted its position in Vericel by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC now owns 7,839 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $315,000 after purchasing an additional 536 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its position in Vericel by 53.3% in the 3rd quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 11,395 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $457,000 after acquiring an additional 3,963 shares during the period. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in Vericel during the third quarter valued at $1,071,000.

Vericel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vericel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vericel reported Q3 revenue of $85.4 million, up 26.5% year over year and above the $78.0 million consensus. Earnings per share of $0.27 also topped estimates of $0.06, while net income rose 179% to $14.2 million. Vericel Q3 results and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY2026 revenue outlook to $344 million–$346 million, above analyst expectations of roughly $336 million, and lifted its adjusted EBITDA margin guidance to 28%. The stronger outlook, alongside record MACI sales, helped fuel investor optimism. Vericel shares rise on record revenue and higher outlook
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its price target to $75 from $72 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s prospects. HC Wainwright price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Several Vericel directors and insiders disclosed stock sales totaling about 22,000 shares on November 4–5. One insider’s sale reduced their reported stake by 88%, which may be a near-term concern for investors, though insider sales alone do not establish a negative outlook. SEC insider transaction filing

About Vericel

Vericel Corporation is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and marketing advanced cell therapies and regenerative medicine products. The company serves orthopedic and burn-care markets, with an emphasis on treatments that use a patient's own cells or biologic materials to support tissue repair and healing.

Vericel's primary orthopedic product is MACI, an autologous cultured chondrocyte implant used to repair symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee in adults.

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