Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on VCEL. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $60.00 price target on shares of Vericel in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. HC Wainwright raised their price objective on Vericel from $72.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Vericel from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Vericel in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $65.00 price target on shares of Vericel in a research note on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Vericel has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $60.80.

Vericel Price Performance

Shares of Vericel stock opened at $54.62 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 85.35 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $41.01 and its 200-day moving average is $38.90. Vericel has a one year low of $28.95 and a one year high of $55.60.

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The biotechnology company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.06 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $85.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $77.95 million. Vericel had a return on equity of 9.09% and a net margin of 10.27%. Vericel’s revenue for the quarter was up 26.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.10 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Vericel will post 0.54 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Vericel news, insider Sean C. Flynn sold 15,000 shares of Vericel stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.92, for a total value of $778,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $103,320.80. The trade was a 88.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Siegal sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.90, for a total value of $79,350.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 1,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $66,601.10. This trade represents a 54.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 22,000 shares of company stock worth $1,128,340 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vericel

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC bought a new position in shares of Vericel in the second quarter valued at approximately $5,356,000. Man Group plc purchased a new position in shares of Vericel during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,998,000. Scholtz & Company LLC purchased a new position in shares of Vericel during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,287,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Vericel during the second quarter valued at $12,366,000. Finally, Madison Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Vericel during the second quarter valued at $2,230,000.

More Vericel News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vericel this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Vericel reported Q3 revenue of $85.4 million, up 26.5% year over year and above the $78.0 million consensus. Earnings per share of $0.27 also topped estimates of $0.06, while net income rose 179% to $14.2 million. Vericel Q3 results and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its FY2026 revenue outlook to $344 million–$346 million, above analyst expectations of roughly $336 million, and lifted its adjusted EBITDA margin guidance to 28%. The stronger outlook, alongside record MACI sales, helped fuel investor optimism. Vericel shares rise on record revenue and higher outlook
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its price target to $75 from $72 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s prospects. HC Wainwright price target update
• Negative Sentiment: Several Vericel directors and insiders disclosed stock sales totaling about 22,000 shares on November 4–5. One insider’s sale reduced their reported stake by 88%, which may be a near-term concern for investors, though insider sales alone do not establish a negative outlook. SEC insider transaction filing

Vericel Company Profile

Vericel Corporation is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and marketing advanced cell therapies and regenerative medicine products. The company serves orthopedic and burn-care markets, with an emphasis on treatments that use a patient’s own cells or biologic materials to support tissue repair and healing.

Vericel’s primary orthopedic product is MACI, an autologous cultured chondrocyte implant used to repair symptomatic cartilage defects of the knee in adults.