Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Short Interest Update
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyVerrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA – Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 478,579 shares, a growth of 18.2% from the February 26th total of 405,005 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 151,325 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Currently, 6.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.
Institutional Trading of Verrica Pharmaceuticals
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Armistice Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 3.7% during the second quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 8,881,344 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,708,000 after purchasing an additional 313,944 shares during the period. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth about $5,878,000. Velan Capital Investment Management LP bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,919,000. Kalehua Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,959,000. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,210,000. 42.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 9.2%
Verrica Pharmaceuticals stock traded up $0.44 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $5.20. The stock had a trading volume of 21,653 shares, compared to its average volume of 141,999. The company has a quick ratio of 2.45, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market cap of $89.27 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.29 and a beta of 1.47. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $3.28 and a 52-week high of $9.82. The company has a fifty day moving average of $6.06 and a 200 day moving average of $5.86.
Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 11th. The company reported ($0.51) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.43) by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $5.09 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.52 million. On average, analysts anticipate that Verrica Pharmaceuticals will post -1.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. upgraded shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 18th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen cut Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Loop Capital set a $17.00 price objective on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verrica Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.00.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Verrica Pharmaceuticals
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Company Profile
Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of topical therapies for dermatological conditions. Its lead investigational product, VP-102, is a standardized formulation of cantharidin in a pre-measured applicator designed to treat molluscum contagiosum and common warts. Verrica’s approach emphasizes consistency of dosing and patient convenience, aiming to improve upon off‐label use of existing treatments.
Beyond VP-102, Verrica is advancing VP-103, a next‐generation topical candidate intended to optimize tolerability while maintaining efficacy against viral skin lesions.