Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT) Cut to “Hold” at Wolfe Research

Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT – Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wolfe Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Friday, Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Veracyte from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 24th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Veracyte from $52.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Veracyte from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Leerink Partners lowered Veracyte from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $55.00 to $35.00 in a report on Thursday. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group cut their price target on Veracyte from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $51.40.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Veracyte

Veracyte Price Performance

Shares of VCYT stock traded up $0.16 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $24.16. 6,580,555 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,170,560. The business’s fifty day moving average is $44.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.87. Veracyte has a 12-month low of $21.91 and a 12-month high of $60.91. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.59 and a beta of 1.98.

Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The biotechnology company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.10. Veracyte had a net margin of 20.37% and a return on equity of 9.26%. The company had revenue of $151.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $147.13 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Veracyte will post 1.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Veracyte

In related news, Director Karin Eastham sold 14,850 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.00, for a total transaction of $742,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 10,247 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $512,350. This represents a 59.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Phillip Febbo sold 13,110 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.05, for a total value of $564,385.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 133,048 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,727,716.40. This represents a 8.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 62,609 shares of company stock valued at $2,858,904. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VCYT. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Veracyte during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Veracyte in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in Veracyte in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. acquired a new position in Veracyte during the second quarter worth $62,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Veracyte by 21.2% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,121 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 196 shares during the last quarter.

Key Veracyte News

Here are the key news stories impacting Veracyte this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Veracyte reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $0.51, ahead of estimates, and revenue of $151.75 million, up 15.1% year over year and above consensus. Veracyte tops Q3 earnings and revenue estimates
  • Positive Sentiment: The company authorized a share buyback plan, which could provide some support for the stock, though the provided report does not specify its size or timing. Veracyte authorizes a buyback plan
  • Negative Sentiment: The main concern is Veracyte’s reduced 2026 revenue outlook, tied to slower-than-expected growth in Decipher Prostate volumes. Management also cited increased investment in breast and bladder cancer tests, potentially weighing on near-term margins and growth. Q3 call highlights slower growth and added investment
  • Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment weakened after the outlook cut: Leerink Partners downgraded VCYT to Market Perform from Outperform and lowered its price target to $35 from $55. Needham also reduced its target, to $46 from $69, while retaining a Buy rating. Veracyte downgraded after guidance cut
  • Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into potential securities claims following the company’s disclosures and sharp share-price decline. These are investigations, not findings of wrongdoing, but may add uncertainty for investors. Shareholder investigation notice

Veracyte Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Veracyte, Inc is a diagnostics company that develops genomic tests to help physicians diagnose cancer, assess disease risk and guide treatment decisions. Its tests are designed to provide additional molecular information from patient samples, often helping reduce uncertainty and support more personalized care.

The company’s portfolio includes Afirma tests for thyroid nodules, Decipher tests for prostate cancer, Percepta tests for lung cancer and Envisio tests for breast cancer. Veracyte also develops and commercializes additional genomic assays intended for use across various cancer types and clinical settings.

Founded in 2008 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, Veracyte primarily serves the U.S.

See Also

Analyst Recommendations for Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT)

Receive News & Ratings for Veracyte Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Veracyte and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.