Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) from a sell rating to a strong sell rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

VRCA has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Zacks Research raised Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. HC Wainwright began coverage on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $12.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Verrica Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.50.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

VRCA stock opened at $4.89 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.45 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The company’s 50-day moving average is $5.68 and its 200-day moving average is $5.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $84.01 million, a PE ratio of -2.93 and a beta of 1.49. Verrica Pharmaceuticals has a 1 year low of $3.28 and a 1 year high of $9.82.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verrica Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VRCA. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 44,275 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 64.8% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 74,388 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 29,256 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 26,308 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 42.45% of the company’s stock.

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.