Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported ($1.80) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.46) by ($0.34), Zacks reports. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned ($1.12) EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Vaxcyte’s conference call:

• OPUS phase III program for VAX-31 is underway with OPUS‑1 (head‑to‑head vs Prevnar 20 and PCV21) and the company expects top‑line safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity data in the fourth quarter of this year.
• Manufacturing readiness advanced: the dedicated large‑scale manufacturing facility was completed on time and on budget, and a high‑volume fill‑finish line in North Carolina is being built as part of up to a $1 billion U.S. manufacturing investment.
• Balance sheet strengthened — $2.4 billion in cash and investments at year‑end 2025 plus ~$600.2 million net proceeds from a February equity offering, giving management confidence in runway to at least the end of 2028.
• 2026 spending is expected to increase meaningfully, driven by manufacturing scale‑up, building commercial VAX‑31 supply, and larger late‑stage clinical programs, which will raise near‑term R&D and operating expenses.
• Infant program progress: the VAX‑31 infant Phase II optimized‑dose arm has completed enrollment (900 infants dosed), with top‑line data for the primary 3‑dose series and booster expected by the first half of 2027.

Vaxcyte Stock Up 1.8%

PCVX traded up $1.09 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $61.35. 822,825 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,399,669. Vaxcyte has a 1-year low of $27.66 and a 1-year high of $83.33. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $50.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.68 and a beta of 1.33.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Leerink Partners set a $77.00 target price on shares of Vaxcyte and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $116.00 price target on shares of Vaxcyte in a report on Monday, February 2nd. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Vaxcyte in a report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vaxcyte in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Vaxcyte from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $93.83.

Insider Activity at Vaxcyte

In other news, insider Harpreet S. Dhaliwal sold 9,743 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.69, for a total transaction of $454,900.67. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,928 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,117,198.32. This trade represents a 28.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Elvia Cowan sold 11,623 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.92, for a total transaction of $556,974.16. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,534 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,469.28. This trade represents a 44.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 3.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Vaxcyte

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Vaxcyte by 156.2% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 597 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 364 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Vaxcyte by 1,463.4% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 641 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vaxcyte by 22,500.0% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,350 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Vaxcyte in the 3rd quarter valued at $76,000. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Vaxcyte in the 4th quarter valued at $161,000. 96.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Vaxcyte Company Profile

Vaxcyte, Inc (NASDAQ: PCVX) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing a new generation of preventive vaccines aimed at combating serious bacterial diseases. Headquartered in San Carlos, California, Vaxcyte leverages proprietary conjugation technologies to design and manufacture multivalent vaccines targeting pathogens for which there remain significant unmet medical needs. The company’s platform is intended to streamline the production of conjugate vaccines by improving antigen presentation and broadening strain coverage compared with conventional approaches.

Vaxcyte’s lead candidate, VAX-24, is a 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine designed to protect against 24 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae.