HC Wainwright Boosts Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) Price Target to $64.00

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) had its price target hoisted by analysts at HC Wainwright from $60.00 to $64.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the biotechnology company’s stock. HC Wainwright’s price target points to a potential upside of 79.37% from the stock’s current price. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Vericel’s Q4 2026 earnings at $0.43 EPS and FY2030 earnings at $2.09 EPS.

VCEL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vericel from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Vericel from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Vericel in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Vericel from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 18th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $58.50.

Vericel Stock Down 5.3%

NASDAQ:VCEL opened at $35.68 on Friday. Vericel has a 52 week low of $29.24 and a 52 week high of $52.06. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $37.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 115.10 and a beta of 1.24.

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The biotechnology company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.45. The firm had revenue of $92.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $92.66 million. Vericel had a return on equity of 5.36% and a net margin of 5.98%.Vericel’s revenue was up 23.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.38 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Vericel will post 0.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Vericel

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Vericel by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,584,006 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $129,060,000 after acquiring an additional 68,368 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Vericel by 12.7% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,163,922 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $113,933,000 after purchasing an additional 356,680 shares in the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Vericel by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,254,562 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $81,187,000 after purchasing an additional 79,278 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Vericel by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 2,222,107 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $80,018,000 after purchasing an additional 11,178 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geneva Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Vericel by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 1,946,305 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $61,250,000 after buying an additional 161,378 shares during the last quarter.

Vericel News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Vericel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results showed strong growth: revenue $92.9M (+23% YoY), MACI revenue +23%, record Q4 gross margin of 79%, net income and adjusted EBITDA up materially — evidence of profitable top-line momentum and cash build. Vericel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/target lift: HC Wainwright raised its price target to $64 and maintained a Buy rating — a significant upside to street levels that can support longer-term investor confidence. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 revenue guidance of $316–$326M (MACI $280–$286M) is roughly in line with consensus, signaling continued growth but little upside surprise in the near term. Vericel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call and transcripts are available for color on commercialization progress (MACI Arthro traction, surgeon training) — useful for judging execution vs. guidance. Earnings Call Transcript Earnings Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Investors reacted to margin and cost dynamics: management guided gross margin down to ~75% for 2026 (from a 79% Q4 peak) and operating expenses rose meaningfully due to headcount and Burlington facility startup — raising near-term execution and profitability uncertainty. Vericel Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling reported in recent months and continued operating/risk disclosures (manufacturing qualification timing, regulatory approvals) may amplify short-term selling pressure. Quiver Quant summary

About Vericel

Vericel Corporation is a biotechnology company specializing in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of cell-based therapies for patients with severe diseases and conditions. The company’s expertise lies in regenerative medicine, where it harnesses the power of autologous cell processing to create products designed to restore function and promote healing in damaged tissues.

Vericel currently markets two FDA-approved therapies. MACI® (autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane) is indicated for the repair of symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee in adult patients.