Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Price Target Cut to $15.00 by Analysts at Citigroup

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) had its price target dropped by investment analysts at Citigroup from $22.00 to $15.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price target indicates a potential upside of 21.57% from the stock’s current price.

VERX has been the subject of several other reports. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Vertex from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $16.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group set a $25.00 target price on Vertex in a research note on Thursday. JMP Securities set a $37.00 price target on Vertex in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on Vertex from $30.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Vertex from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.94.

Vertex Stock Down 3.8%

Shares of VERX stock traded down $0.49 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $12.34. 2,097,902 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,257,008. The firm has a market cap of $1.97 billion, a PE ratio of -35.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The company’s 50 day moving average is $19.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.51. Vertex has a 1 year low of $11.96 and a 1 year high of $50.79.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.17. Vertex had a positive return on equity of 26.84% and a negative net margin of 7.32%.The firm had revenue of $194.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $194.33 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Vertex will post 0.38 EPS for the current year.

Vertex declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Monday, November 3rd that authorizes the company to buyback $150.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vertex in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Vertex during the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Vertex in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Vertex by 44.4% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,664 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 512 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Vertex by 25.7% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,933 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after buying an additional 395 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.32% of the company’s stock.

Vertex News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q4 & full‑year results — Double‑digit revenue growth (Q4 revenues $194.7M, FY revenues $748.4M), cloud revenue up sharply, ARR +11.3%, and a return to net income for 2025; management issued stronger 2026 revenue and adjusted‑EBITDA guidance. Vertex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue mix and product tailwinds — Cloud revenue grew strongly (Q4 and FY), management highlighted e‑invoicing mandates in Europe and early traction for AI‑driven tax tools as near‑term growth drivers. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return & margin progress — Company repurchased ~$10M of shares under its $150M buyback and reported improved adjusted EBITDA margins, signaling confidence in cash generation. QuiverQuant Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported EPS matched Street estimates (Non‑GAAP diluted EPS $0.17); revenue came in roughly in line with consensus — limits immediate upside from the print itself. Zacks: Q4 Earnings Match Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Bullish views exist among some independent analysts/commentaries highlighting low valuation and defendable niche vs. AI disruption — but these are opinion pieces and may have limited near‑term impact. Seeking Alpha: Buy At Ultracheap Multiples
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple analyst price‑target cuts — Citizens Jmp lowered its PT (from $37 to $25; still Market Outperform), Piper Sandler trimmed to $14 (Neutral), and Needham reduced to $20 (Buy). Those downward revisions are likely exerting near‑term selling pressure. Benzinga (analyst PT cuts) StreetInsider: Needham PT Lowered
• Negative Sentiment: Customer retention & cashflow caution — Net revenue retention and gross retention ticked down (NRR 105% vs. 109% prior year) and free cash flow declined year‑over‑year, which could concern investors focused on durability of growth and cash conversion. Vertex Press Release

Vertex Company Profile

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.