Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) CEO Jayson Rieger Acquires 5,000 Shares

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) CEO Jayson Rieger acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $4.91 per share, for a total transaction of $24,550.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 207,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,019,281.63. This trade represents a 2.47% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

Shares of VRCA stock traded down $0.21 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $4.68. 46,708 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 92,498. Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a 12-month low of $3.28 and a 12-month high of $9.82. 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 has a market cap of $80.40 million, a P/E ratio of -2.80 and a beta of 1.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $5.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $5.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VRCA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. HC Wainwright started coverage on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $12.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Verrica Pharmaceuticals currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verrica Pharmaceuticals

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Man Group plc purchased a new position in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth $94,000. Quadrature Capital Ltd purchased a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter valued at $99,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Beck Mack & Oliver LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter valued at $100,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth $122,000. 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.