Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation, two have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $17.00.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VRCA. Zacks Research upgraded Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Brookline Capital Acquisition raised Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $17.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Loop Capital set a $17.00 price target on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Wall Street Zen cut Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, January 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verrica Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 306.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,711 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 44,275 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 74,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 29,256 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% during the first 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.45% of the company’s stock.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of VRCA opened at $5.57 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.06 million, a PE ratio of -1.63 and a beta of 1.46. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $7.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.91. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a 52 week low of $3.28 and a 52 week high of $9.82.

About Verrica Pharmaceuticals

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.