Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Cantor Fitzgerald Analyst Says

Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) had its price objective upped by Cantor Fitzgerald from $90.00 to $100.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 9.57% from the company’s previous close. Cantor Fitzgerald also issued estimates for Verona Pharma’s FY2026 earnings at $12.56 EPS.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on shares of Verona Pharma from $44.00 to $72.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Verona Pharma from $95.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Verona Pharma in a report on Monday, April 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Roth Capital set a $83.00 price objective on shares of Verona Pharma in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, HC Wainwright boosted their target price on shares of Verona Pharma from $85.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 2nd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verona Pharma has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $87.44.

Verona Pharma Stock Performance

Verona Pharma stock traded up $4.48 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $91.26. 392,467 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,322,042. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $68.83 and its 200-day moving average price is $59.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 13.03 and a quick ratio of 12.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -47.31 and a beta of 0.21. Verona Pharma has a 1 year low of $12.20 and a 1 year high of $91.01.

Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.49. The business had revenue of $98.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $41.47 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Verona Pharma will post -1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Verona Pharma news, General Counsel Andrew Fisher sold 26,072 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.98, for a total transaction of $234,126.56. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel now directly owns 359,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,232,737.14. The trade was a 6.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO David Zaccardelli sold 90,360 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.98, for a total value of $811,432.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 14,377,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $129,107,040.48. This trade represents a 0.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,085,800 shares of company stock worth $10,014,481 over the last 90 days. 4.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verona Pharma

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Verona Pharma in the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Verona Pharma by 44.2% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the last quarter. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Verona Pharma during the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Verona Pharma in the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Verona Pharma in the 1st quarter worth $58,000. 85.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Verona Pharma

Verona Pharma plc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases with unmet medical needs. The company's product candidate is ensifentrine, an inhaled and dual inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and PDE4 enzymes that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.