Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA) Stock Price Up 6.2% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Vera Therapeutics shares rose 6.2% to about $34.29 in Monday trading, though volume was roughly 80% below the stock’s average daily volume.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $81.15; targets range from $34 to $91 among recently cited firms.
• The company slightly beat quarterly EPS expectations, reporting a loss of $1.52 per share versus the expected $1.58 loss. CEO Marshall Fordyce separately sold 46,250 shares under a pre-arranged trading plan, while institutions and hedge funds own 99.21% of the stock.

Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA - Get Free Report) was up 6.2% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $34.18 and last traded at $34.2870. 290,245 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 1,461,276 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.28.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VERA has been the topic of several research reports. Wedbush restated a "neutral" rating and set a $34.00 price target on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, August 17th. Evercore set a $91.00 price objective on Vera Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, May 15th. HC Wainwright decreased their price objective on Vera Therapeutics from $125.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Vera Therapeutics from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $81.15.

Vera Therapeutics Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 10.92, a current ratio of 10.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $2.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.82 and a beta of 0.92. The company's 50-day moving average is $36.32 and its 200-day moving average is $37.99.

Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($1.52) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.58) by $0.06. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted ($1.20) EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Vera Therapeutics, Inc. will post -6.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Vera Therapeutics

In related news, CEO Marshall Fordyce sold 46,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.30, for a total transaction of $1,956,375.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 151,994 shares in the company, valued at $6,429,346.20. This trade represents a 23.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 15.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Optimize Financial Inc boosted its position in Vera Therapeutics by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Optimize Financial Inc now owns 17,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $901,000 after buying an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Virtus Investment Advisers LLC now owns 5,342 shares of the company's stock worth $271,000 after acquiring an additional 290 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 17,838 shares of the company's stock valued at $903,000 after acquiring an additional 424 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 2.0% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 27,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $656,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Vera Therapeutics by 25.9% in the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,106 shares of the company's stock valued at $157,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. 99.21% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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