Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) Reaches New 1-Year High After Analyst Upgrade

Posted by Francis Steltz on Oct 7th, 2026

Vaxcyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCVX – Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday after Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on the stock from $110.00 to $122.00. Needham & Company LLC currently has a buy rating on the stock. Vaxcyte traded as high as $89.00 and last traded at $87.1950, with a volume of 1927060 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $56.48.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on PCVX. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vaxcyte in a research report on Friday. Guggenheim raised their target price on Vaxcyte from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Vaxcyte from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Vaxcyte from $133.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Vaxcyte from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Vaxcyte currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $108.60.

Read Our Latest Research Report on PCVX

Insider Buying and Selling at Vaxcyte

In related news, CFO Andrew Guggenhime sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.89, for a total transaction of $538,900.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 105,176 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,667,934.64. This represents a 8.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Jim Wassil sold 2,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.67, for a total transaction of $127,507.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 145,435 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,241,801.45. This trade represents a 1.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 55,890 shares of company stock worth $3,111,189. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Vaxcyte News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vaxcyte this week:

Positive Sentiment: VAX-31 met all prespecified primary endpoints. In the pivotal OPUS-1 Phase 3 trial, VAX-31 produced immune responses comparable to Prevnar 20 and/or Capvaxive across the studied age groups. The results strengthen the candidate’s prospects in the adult pneumococcal vaccine market. Vaxcyte Reports Positive Topline Data
Positive Sentiment: Analysts viewed the readout as potentially supporting competition with Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 and Merck’s Capvaxive in a market estimated by Jefferies at $3 billion to $6 billion or more. Needham raised its price target to $122 from $110 while maintaining a Buy rating, and BTIG reaffirmed Buy with an $89 target. Needham Raises Price Target
Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha characterized Vaxcyte as a “Strong Buy,” citing the VAX-31 trial success, potential invasive pneumococcal disease data, and additional clinical readouts expected in the first half of 2027. These remain forward-looking catalysts rather than near-term revenue.
Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was elevated, including heavier-than-usual put buying and moderately higher call volume. This indicates increased trading interest and potential hedging, but does not establish a definitive directional outlook.
Negative Sentiment: Vaxcyte launched separate offerings for approximately $500 million of common stock and pre-funded warrants and $500 million of convertible senior notes due 2032, with possible over-allotments. The equity issuance could dilute existing shareholders, while the debt offering adds financing complexity. The announcement overshadowed the clinical milestone and drove the stock lower after its initial rally. Vaxcyte Financing Announcement

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vaxcyte

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in PCVX. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in Vaxcyte during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,044,355,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in Vaxcyte by 23.8% during the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 16,575,875 shares of the company’s stock valued at $960,231,000 after buying an additional 3,188,687 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Vaxcyte during the 2nd quarter valued at about $701,520,000. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Vaxcyte by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,296,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,213,000 after buying an additional 2,981,038 shares during the period. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Vaxcyte by 24.7% during the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,001,565 shares of the company’s stock valued at $407,001,000 after buying an additional 1,386,968 shares during the period. 96.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vaxcyte Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.92 billion, a PE ratio of -8.74 and a beta of 1.23. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $59.28 and its 200-day moving average price is $56.40.

Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($1.97) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.06) by $0.09. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.22) EPS. On average, analysts expect that Vaxcyte, Inc. will post -8.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vaxcyte Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Vaxcyte, Inc (NASDAQ: PCVX) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing vaccines to help prevent serious bacterial infections. The company uses its cell-free protein synthesis and advanced conjugation technologies to design vaccines intended to provide broad and durable protection while addressing limitations of existing vaccine products.

Vaxcyte’s lead programs are pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidates, including VAX-24 and VAX-31, which are designed to target a broad range of pneumococcal serotypes.