Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Verastem, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTM) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $14.2857.

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Verastem in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Mizuho set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Verastem in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Verastem from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Verastem from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Verastem to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 30th.

Verastem Price Performance

NASDAQ:VSTM opened at $7.20 on Wednesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $8.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.10. The firm has a market cap of $480.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.79 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 2.58. Verastem has a one year low of $4.01 and a one year high of $11.24.

Verastem (NASDAQ:VSTM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.35) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.51) by ($0.84). The business had revenue of $11.24 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.76 million. Research analysts expect that Verastem will post -3.02 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Verastem

In related news, CEO Dan Paterson sold 3,299 shares of Verastem stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.74, for a total value of $32,132.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 438,818 shares in the company, valued at $4,274,087.32. The trade was a 0.75% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Paul A. Bunn sold 6,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.00, for a total value of $62,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,083 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,830. The trade was a 75.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 37,447 shares of company stock valued at $377,711 in the last ninety days. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Verastem by 78.2% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 62,603 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $377,000 after acquiring an additional 27,477 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Verastem by 236.9% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 756,402 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $4,561,000 after acquiring an additional 531,873 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Verastem by 32.8% during the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 49,959 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $301,000 after purchasing an additional 12,330 shares in the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Verastem in the second quarter valued at about $643,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Verastem during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $106,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.37% of the company’s stock.

Verastem Company Profile

Verastem Oncology, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of small molecule therapies that target cancer stemness and resistance pathways. Established in 2010 and headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts, Verastem Oncology applies a precision-medicine approach to identify key signaling nodes responsible for tumor growth and relapse, with an emphasis on hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company’s research platform integrates insights into complex signaling networks to advance novel compounds from early discovery through clinical proof of concept.

The company’s lead marketed product is COPIKTRA (duvelisib), an oral inhibitor of PI3K-delta and PI3K-gamma, which received U.S.