DA Davidson Lowers Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Price Target to $12.00

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at DA Davidson from $15.00 to $12.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. DA Davidson’s price target points to a potential upside of 5.60% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on VERX. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating on shares of Vertex in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Vertex from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Stephens decreased their price target on shares of Vertex from $20.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Vertex in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Vertex from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Vertex currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.53.

Vertex Trading Down 15.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:VERX traded down $2.04 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $11.36. The stock had a trading volume of 662,030 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,876,614. The company’s 50 day moving average is $12.42 and its 200-day moving average is $13.46. Vertex has a 12-month low of $10.21 and a 12-month high of $33.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of -230.52 and a beta of 0.83.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $203.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $202.21 million. Vertex had a negative net margin of 0.84% and a positive return on equity of 26.04%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Vertex will post 0.52 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex during the 1st quarter valued at about $37,796,000. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its holdings in Vertex by 9.2% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,728,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,640,000 after buying an additional 229,774 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Vertex by 76.7% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,161,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,584,000 after buying an additional 937,905 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Vertex by 8.0% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,849,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,928,000 after acquiring an additional 136,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park West Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Vertex by 46.7% in the fourth quarter. Park West Asset Management LLC now owns 1,833,428 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,614,000 after acquiring an additional 583,428 shares during the last quarter. 70.32% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Vertex

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vertex reported second-quarter EPS of $0.20, above the $0.19 consensus estimate and up from $0.15 a year earlier. Revenue increased 10.5% year over year to approximately $204.0 million, while operating cash flow reached $30.9 million. Vertex Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s full-year revenue outlook of $825 million to $830 million is broadly in line with the $827.2 million analyst consensus, suggesting continued recurring-revenue growth despite a modest operating loss. Vertex Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Insider activity has been supportive, with five reported purchases versus one sale during the past six months, including purchases by CEO Christopher Young and other executives.
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens and Robert W. Baird remain constructive, maintaining “overweight” and “outperform” ratings while setting targets of $18 and $17, respectively—both above the current share price. Analyst Price Target Updates
• Neutral Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its target from $14 to $15 but kept a “market perform” rating, reflecting limited near-term conviction. The broader analyst median target is approximately $16.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $208 million to $211 million trails the $211.6 million consensus estimate, raising concerns about near-term growth momentum. Vertex Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Stephens reduced its target from $20 to $18, while Baird cut its target from $19 to $17. Although both firms retained bullish ratings, the reductions indicate more cautious valuation expectations following the earnings report.

About Vertex

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.