Braidwell LP Takes Position in Vera Therapeutics, Inc. $VERA

Key Points

• Braidwell LP opened a new position in Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA), buying 472,739 shares worth about $13.74 million, or roughly 0.74% of the company at quarter-end.
• Institutional ownership is very high at 99.21% with several funds (e.g., Geode, UBS, Jane Street) boosting stakes, while insiders have sold 33,490 shares (~$1.41 million) in the last 90 days and now hold 16.30%.
• Analysts show a bullish tilt—consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy” with a $81.45 average target and several firms raising targets (up to $110) despite a recent quarterly EPS miss of ($1.39).

Braidwell LP bought a new position in Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 472,739 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,738,000. Braidwell LP owned approximately 0.74% of Vera Therapeutics at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Vera Therapeutics by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 30,905 shares of the company's stock valued at $753,000 after purchasing an additional 2,210 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in Vera Therapeutics by 22.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 98,013 shares of the company's stock worth $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 17,907 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 297.1% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 41,578 shares of the company's stock worth $999,000 after purchasing an additional 62,678 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics during the second quarter worth $237,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 7.7% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,294,958 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,513,000 after buying an additional 92,149 shares in the last quarter. 99.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Vera Therapeutics

In related news, insider Laurence Matthew Skelton sold 1,582 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.98, for a total transaction of $66,412.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 64,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,695,871.64. The trade was a 2.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO David Lee Johnson sold 2,579 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.98, for a total transaction of $108,266.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 45,727 shares in the company, valued at $1,919,619.46. This represents a 5.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 33,490 shares of company stock worth $1,405,910 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 16.30% of the company's stock.

Vera Therapeutics Price Performance

Shares of VERA stock opened at $39.96 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $43.81 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.85. The company has a quick ratio of 13.64, a current ratio of 13.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.58 and a beta of 1.17. Vera Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $18.53 and a 12 month high of $56.05.

Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported ($1.39) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.34) by ($0.05). During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.72) earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Vera Therapeutics, Inc. will post -2.89 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on VERA. Wedbush lifted their price target on Vera Therapeutics from $23.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Pivotal Research set a $73.00 price objective on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 5th. Evercore raised their price objective on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $75.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, December 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $55.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, HC Wainwright increased their price target on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vera Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $81.45.

Vera Therapeutics Company Profile

Vera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel immunotherapies that harness the body's own regulatory T cells to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. By leveraging a proprietary protein engineering platform, the company designs Treg-selective cytokine variants intended to restore immune balance and provide targeted, disease-modifying effects. Its pipeline comprises multiple preclinical and clinical candidates aimed at indications characterized by chronic inflammation and autoimmunity.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vera Therapeutics collaborates with leading academic and research institutions to advance its development programs.

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