Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share (NASDAQ:VRNA) Director Sells $10,827.36 in Stock

Key Points

• Director James Aloysius Brady sold 824 shares of Verona Pharma PLC at $13.14 per share, bringing his total ownership down to 23,176 shares worth approximately $304,532.64.
• Verona Pharma's stock has seen a one-year range from a low of $19.45 to a high of $105.50, with a current price around $105.40 and a market capitalization of $8.97 billion.
• Recent ratings changes by several analysts have resulted in a consensus "Hold" rating for the stock, with a lowered average target price of $109.00.

Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share (NASDAQ:VRNA - Get Free Report) Director James Aloysius Brady sold 824 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.14, for a total value of $10,827.36. Following the transaction, the director owned 23,176 shares of the company's stock, valued at $304,532.64. This trade represents a 3.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share Stock Down 0.1%

NASDAQ VRNA traded down $0.12 during trading on Friday, reaching $105.28. The company's stock had a trading volume of 610,545 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,298,595. The company has a current ratio of 10.71, a quick ratio of 8.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.96 billion, a PE ratio of -106.34 and a beta of 0.12. Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share has a 1-year low of $21.56 and a 1-year high of $105.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $97.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $75.53.

Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share (NASDAQ:VRNA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01) by $0.14. Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share had a negative net margin of 36.62% and a negative return on equity of 21.12%. The firm had revenue of $103.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $90.41 million. On average, research analysts forecast that Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share will post -1.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on VRNA. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 11th. Wolfe Research lowered Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $138.00 to $107.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Roth Capital lowered shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, BTIG Research cut shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $109.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share by 5.6% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,940 shares of the company's stock valued at $183,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share by 44.2% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 630 shares of the company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. raised its holdings in Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 4,675 shares of the company's stock valued at $442,000 after acquiring an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Townsquare Capital LLC now owns 17,958 shares of the company's stock worth $834,000 after acquiring an additional 332 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 11,880 shares of the company's stock worth $1,124,000 after purchasing an additional 394 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.88% of the company's stock.

About Verona Pharma PLC American Depositary Share

Verona Pharma plc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases with unmet medical needs. The company's product candidate is ensifentrine, an inhaled and dual inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and PDE4 enzymes that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.