Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) Short Interest Down 23.2% in December

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) was the target of a large drop in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 292,263 shares, a drop of 23.2% from the December 15th total of 380,561 shares. Currently, 4.0% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 213,893 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Based on an average trading volume of 213,893 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.4 days. Currently, 4.0% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VRCA has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Loop Capital set a $17.00 price objective on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Brookline Capital Management raised shares of 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Verrica Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.00.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 4.6%

Shares of VRCA opened at $7.26 on Monday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $7.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.00. The company has a market cap of $116.09 million, a P/E ratio of -2.13 and a beta of 1.45. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $3.28 and a twelve month high of $9.82.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, November 14th. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.14) by $1.27. The business had revenue of $14.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.34 million. Analysts predict that Verrica Pharmaceuticals will post -1.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Verrica Pharmaceuticals

In related news, COO David Zawitz acquired 10,000 shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $4.24 per share, for a total transaction of $42,400.00. Following the purchase, the chief operating officer directly owned 21,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $89,040. This trade represents a 90.91% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Paul B. Manning bought 2,750,762 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $4.24 per share, for a total transaction of $11,663,230.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,348,372 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,197,097.28. This represents a 460.29% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 4,236,346 shares of company stock worth $17,962,107 in the last 90 days. 54.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verrica Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 306.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 58,711 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 44,275 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 74,388 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 29,256 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 23.3% in 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. 42.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.