Barclays PLC Acquires 8,936 Shares of Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT)

Barclays PLC raised its position in shares of Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT - Free Report) by 6.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 155,338 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,936 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned approximately 0.20% of Veracyte worth $6,150,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Veracyte by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,211,612 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $325,180,000 after buying an additional 463,098 shares in the last quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Veracyte by 31.4% in the fourth quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 6,599,264 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $261,331,000 after acquiring an additional 1,576,432 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in shares of Veracyte by 116.3% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 833,754 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $33,017,000 after purchasing an additional 448,251 shares in the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund grew its holdings in shares of Veracyte by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 785,971 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $31,124,000 after purchasing an additional 3,111 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Veracyte by 134.1% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 635,110 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $25,150,000 after purchasing an additional 363,862 shares during the last quarter.

Veracyte Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VCYT traded down $0.11 during trading on Thursday, hitting $30.39. The stock had a trading volume of 224,133 shares, compared to its average volume of 862,754. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $31.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.25. Veracyte, Inc. has a 12 month low of $19.48 and a 12 month high of $47.32. The company has a market capitalization of $2.37 billion, a PE ratio of -202.80 and a beta of 2.03.

Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 24th. The biotechnology company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $118.63 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $110.73 million. Veracyte had a positive return on equity of 3.02% and a negative net margin of 2.18%. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.39) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Veracyte, Inc. will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VCYT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $51.00 price target on shares of Veracyte in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Veracyte from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Veracyte in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Craig Hallum began coverage on Veracyte in a research report on Thursday, March 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $45.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Veracyte from $45.00 to $37.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.60.

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.