Moody Aldrich Partners LLC Has $4.41 Million Stock Position in Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA)

Moody Aldrich Partners LLC decreased its stake in shares of Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) by 62.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 94,942 shares of the company’s stock after selling 157,810 shares during the period. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC owned about 0.12% of Verona Pharma worth $4,409,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Verona Pharma by 70.6% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,336 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 553 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Verona Pharma by 25.4% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,610 shares of the company’s stock valued at $75,000 after buying an additional 529 shares during the period. Diversify Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Verona Pharma in the third quarter worth $169,000. Shilanski & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Verona Pharma in the fourth quarter worth $305,000. Finally, Claro Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Verona Pharma in the 3rd quarter worth about $209,000. 85.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Verona Pharma Stock Performance

VRNA stock opened at $53.09 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 13.03 and a quick ratio of 12.88. Verona Pharma plc has a 52 week low of $11.39 and a 52 week high of $55.91. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $44.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.52.

Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 4th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.44) by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $5.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.31 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted ($0.18) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Verona Pharma plc will post -1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective (up from $42.00) on shares of Verona Pharma in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their target price on Verona Pharma from $37.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. Roth Mkm assumed coverage on Verona Pharma in a report on Friday, January 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $68.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Verona Pharma from $64.00 to $74.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $57.00 price target (up previously from $44.00) on shares of Verona Pharma in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Verona Pharma presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $53.14.

Insider Transactions at Verona Pharma

In other Verona Pharma news, insider Kathleen A. Rickard sold 240,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.90, for a total value of $1,176,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 2,671,480 shares in the company, valued at $13,090,252. The trade was a 8.24 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director David R. Ebsworth acquired 39,360 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $4.80 per share, for a total transaction of $188,928.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 920,003 shares in the company, valued at $4,416,014.40. The trade was a 4.47 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 1,225,592 shares of company stock worth $5,943,314. 4.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Verona Pharma Company Profile

Verona Pharma plc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on development and commercialization of therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases with unmet medical needs. The company's product candidate is ensifentrine, an inhaled and dual inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase (PDE) 3 and PDE4 enzymes that acts as both a bronchodilator and an anti-inflammatory agent in a single compound, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.