Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

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

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on VRCA shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Brookline Capital Acquisition upgraded 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. Wall Street Zen cut Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Loop Capital set a $17.00 price objective on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verrica Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VRCA. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 306.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,711 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 44,275 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in 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 last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 139,055 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 26,308 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 42.45% of the company’s stock.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 4.1%

Shares of NASDAQ VRCA opened at $5.33 on Thursday. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $3.28 and a 1 year high of $9.82. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $7.01 and its 200-day moving average is $5.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $85.23 million, a PE ratio of -1.56 and a beta of 1.47.

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.