Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) CEO David Zaccardelli Sells 245,784 Shares

Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA) CEO David Zaccardelli sold 245,784 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total value of $1,076,533.92. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 15,004,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,721,549.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

David Zaccardelli also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, October 21st, David Zaccardelli sold 110,456 shares of Verona Pharma stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total transaction of $483,797.28.

Verona Pharma Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:VRNA opened at $34.43 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 8.61 and a current ratio of 8.61. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $29.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.26. The stock has a market cap of $2.80 billion, a PE ratio of -22.36 and a beta of 0.44. Verona Pharma plc has a one year low of $11.39 and a one year high of $35.62.

Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.88) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.35) by ($0.53). During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.11) earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Verona Pharma plc will post -2.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on VRNA shares. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Verona Pharma in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Verona Pharma in a research report on Thursday, October 3rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Verona Pharma from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on Verona Pharma from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $39.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Verona Pharma

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted 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. Values First Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Verona Pharma in the 3rd quarter valued at $494,000. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Verona Pharma by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 155,835 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,483,000 after acquiring an additional 20,206 shares during the last quarter. Claro Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Verona Pharma during the 3rd quarter worth $209,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Verona Pharma by 70.6% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,336 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 553 shares during the last quarter. 85.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.