Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) shares gapped up before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $28.89, but opened at $31.29. Vera Therapeutics shares last traded at $30.4680, with a volume of 1,790,077 shares trading hands.

Key Headlines Impacting Vera Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Vera Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its FY2026 EPS forecast to a loss of $6.52 from a loss of $6.79 and modestly improved estimates for the third and fourth quarters of 2026. These revisions suggest somewhat better near-term profitability than previously expected. HC Wainwright Lowers Vera Therapeutics Price Target to $90
• Positive Sentiment: The firm continues to project a path toward profitability, forecasting positive EPS of $0.49 in FY2028, $5.21 in FY2029 and $8.79 in FY2030. The $90 target remains well above recent trading levels, providing a bullish valuation signal if Vera’s pipeline and commercial prospects develop as expected.
• Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright left its Buy rating intact but lowered its price target to $90, indicating that the analyst remains constructive while acknowledging reduced valuation or earnings expectations. HC Wainwright Lowers Vera Therapeutics Price Target to $90
• Negative Sentiment: The analyst cut FY2027 EPS expectations to a loss of $4.38 from a loss of $3.84, FY2028 EPS to $0.49 from $2.20, FY2029 EPS to $5.21 from $9.11, and FY2030 EPS to $8.79 from $10.83. The sharp reductions imply a slower earnings ramp and may temper investor enthusiasm.
• Negative Sentiment: Separate recent coverage from Wedbush was characterized as a pessimistic forecast for Vera Therapeutics, adding caution to the otherwise supportive HC Wainwright rating. Wedbush Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Vera Therapeutics

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VERA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Bank of America lifted their target price on Vera Therapeutics from $65.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Vera Therapeutics from $56.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Evercore set a $91.00 price target on shares of Vera Therapeutics in a report on Friday, May 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.15.

Vera Therapeutics Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 13.64 and a current ratio of 13.64. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.56. The company has a market capitalization of $2.23 billion, a PE ratio of -5.34 and a beta of 0.92.

Vera Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VERA) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 10th. The company reported ($1.52) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.58) by $0.06. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.20) earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Vera Therapeutics, Inc. will post -6.45 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Marshall Fordyce sold 46,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.30, for a total value of $1,956,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 151,994 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,429,346.20. This represents a 23.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 15.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vera Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Vera Therapeutics by 49.0% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 5,461,976 shares of the company’s stock valued at $276,595,000 after purchasing an additional 1,795,537 shares in the last quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP lifted its holdings in Vera Therapeutics by 24.0% during the second quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP now owns 3,100,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,036,000 after buying an additional 600,000 shares during the period. Elmind Capital LP purchased a new stake in Vera Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth $24,434,000. Armistice Capital LLC boosted its position in Vera Therapeutics by 294.1% during the 3rd quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 536,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,576,000 after acquiring an additional 400,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Vera Therapeutics by 11.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,570,401 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,805,000 after acquiring an additional 379,748 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.21% of the company’s stock.

Vera Therapeutics Company Profile

Vera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel immunotherapies that harness the body’s own regulatory T cells to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. By leveraging a proprietary protein engineering platform, the company designs Treg-selective cytokine variants intended to restore immune balance and provide targeted, disease-modifying effects. Its pipeline comprises multiple preclinical and clinical candidates aimed at indications characterized by chronic inflammation and autoimmunity.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Vera Therapeutics collaborates with leading academic and research institutions to advance its development programs.