AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc Reduces Stake in Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT)

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc trimmed its stake in shares of Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT - Free Report) by 3.4% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 652,772 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 23,029 shares during the quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc owned 0.84% of Veracyte worth $19,342,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its stake in shares of Veracyte by 49.7% in the 4th quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 714 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Veracyte by 1,267.6% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 930 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 862 shares in the last quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in Veracyte in the fourth quarter worth approximately $64,000. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in Veracyte by 57.4% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,774 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 647 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Veracyte by 34.1% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,909 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VCYT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Veracyte from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 30th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Veracyte in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Veracyte from $51.00 to $41.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Craig Hallum started coverage on Veracyte in a report on Thursday, March 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $45.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Veracyte from $49.00 to $42.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $40.90.

Veracyte Price Performance

Shares of VCYT stock traded down $0.31 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $26.98. The stock had a trading volume of 1,210,298 shares, compared to its average volume of 904,488. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.11 billion, a PE ratio of -179.87 and a beta of 2.14. The stock's 50 day moving average is $29.78 and its 200 day moving average is $36.20. Veracyte, Inc. has a twelve month low of $19.73 and a twelve month high of $47.32.

About Veracyte

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.