Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Short Interest Up 1,164.0% in July

Key Points

• Short interest in Verrica Pharmaceuticals has surged by 1,164.0%, increasing from 17,500 shares on June 30th to 221,200 shares by July 15th.
• Several institutional investors have significantly increased their stakes in Verrica Pharmaceuticals, with AQR Capital Management raising its position by 306.7% in the first quarter.
• The stock is currently rated as a "Hold" by five investment analysts, with a consensus target price of $80.00, despite having a recent earnings miss with an EPS of ($1.00).

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA - Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 221,200 shares, agrowthof1,164.0% from the June 30th total of 17,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 42,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 42,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.2 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have commented on VRCA shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. HC Wainwright restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $80.00.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 1.6%

VRCA stock traded up $0.09 on Tuesday, hitting $5.66. 5,523 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 42,265. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $3.82 and a 1-year high of $58.20. The stock has a market cap of $52.36 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.47 and a beta of 1.92. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $6.54 and a 200-day moving average of $6.08.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 13th. The company reported ($1.00) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.40) by $0.40. The firm had revenue of $3.44 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.53 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Verrica Pharmaceuticals will post -1.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $99,000. Sovran Advisors LLC grew its stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 91.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 750,391 shares of the company's stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 358,228 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 139,055 shares of the company's stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 26,308 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 306.7% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,711 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 44,275 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.45% of the company's stock.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc, a clinical-stage dermatology therapeutics company, develops medications for the treatment of skin diseases in the United States. Its product pipeline comprises YCANTH (VP-102), which is in phase III clinical trial for the treatment of common warts; and has completed phase II clinical trial for the treatment of external genital warts.