GW&K Investment Management LLC Reduces Stake in Vera Therapeutics, Inc. $VERA

Key Points

• GW&K Investment Management cut its position by 65%, selling 142,963 shares and retaining 77,065 shares of Vera Therapeutics (worth ~$2.24M), while other institutions like Vanguard and Vestal Point increased holdings—institutional ownership stands at ~99.21%.
• Insider selling was notable: the CFO and COO sold shares on Feb 23, insiders have sold 33,490 shares in the last 90 days and now own 16.3% of the company.
• Analyst and market signals: the stock trades around $39 with a $2.74B market cap and negative EPS, analysts rate Vera a "Moderate Buy" (average price target $80.80) even as HC Wainwright raised its target to $110 while cutting near‑term earnings estimates.

GW&K Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA - Free Report) by 65.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 77,065 shares of the company's stock after selling 142,963 shares during the quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned about 0.12% of Vera Therapeutics worth $2,240,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VERA. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,190,653 shares of the company's stock worth $92,720,000 after purchasing an additional 189,545 shares during the period. Vestal Point Capital LP raised its holdings in Vera Therapeutics by 24.0% during the 2nd quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP now owns 3,100,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,036,000 after buying an additional 600,000 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Vera Therapeutics by 7.7% during the 2nd 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 during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in Vera Therapeutics by 89.3% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 714,428 shares of the company's stock worth $16,832,000 after buying an additional 336,978 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MPM Bioimpact LLC lifted its position in Vera Therapeutics by 35.4% in the second quarter. MPM Bioimpact LLC now owns 563,075 shares of the company's stock worth $13,266,000 after buying an additional 147,356 shares during the last quarter. 99.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Sean Grant sold 4,949 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.98, for a total value of $207,759.02. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 114,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,793,318.38. The trade was a 4.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO David Lee Johnson sold 2,579 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.98, for a total value of $108,266.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 45,727 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,919,619.46. This represents a 5.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 33,490 shares of company stock valued at $1,405,910. Insiders own 16.30% of the company's stock.

More Vera Therapeutics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vera Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Appointment of an experienced board member — Vera added Christopher Hite to its Board of Directors, bringing decades of corporate and financial strategy experience in biopharma; this strengthens management/governance credentials and may reassure investors on execution and capital allocation. Vera Therapeutics Appoints Christopher Hite to Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Management presentation at TD Cowen conference — Vera presented at TD Cowen’s 46th Annual Health Care Conference (transcript available). Conference presentations can help clarify clinical timelines and commercial strategy, but typically move shares only if new data or guidance are provided. Vera Presents at TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Inducement equity grants to new hires — The company granted options for 46,000 shares and RSUs for 25,875 shares to six new employees under its inducement plan. This is a routine hiring tool to attract talent; dilution is modest relative to Vera’s market cap but worth monitoring if grants accelerate. Vera Therapeutics Announces Inducement Grants Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst cuts to near‑term earnings — HC Wainwright lowered Q1–Q4 2026 and FY2026–FY2028 EPS estimates substantially (e.g., FY2026 estimate cut steeply), signaling weaker near‑term profitability expectations; the firm nonetheless keeps a Buy rating and a $110 price target and raised very long‑term FY2029–FY2030 estimates. The downgrades to 2026–2028 forecasts are a near‑term negative and likely pressured sentiment despite an optimistic long‑range view. Market commentary on HC Wainwright estimates

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on VERA shares. HC Wainwright boosted their price objective on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $99.00 to $96.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Pivotal Research set a $73.00 price target on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a report on Friday, December 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $55.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $48.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $80.80.

Vera Therapeutics Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of VERA opened at $39.07 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $44.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.12. The company has a current ratio of 13.64, a quick ratio of 13.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.74 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.38 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($1.39) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.34) by ($0.05). During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.72) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Vera Therapeutics, Inc. will post -2.89 earnings per share for the current year.

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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