Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Price Target Lowered to $20.00 at Needham & Company LLC

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) had its target price dropped by stock analysts at Needham & Company LLC from $30.00 to $20.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 53.44% from the stock’s current price.

VERX has been the subject of several other research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $25.00 target price on shares of Vertex in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $25.00 price target on shares of Vertex in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. JMP Securities set a $37.00 price objective on Vertex in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Vertex in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price target on Vertex from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vertex presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $30.93.

Vertex Stock Down 12.4%

Shares of VERX stock traded down $1.85 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $13.03. 4,720,031 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,140,236. Vertex has a 52 week low of $12.52 and a 52 week high of $52.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. The business has a 50 day moving average of $19.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.58. The company has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a PE ratio of -36.94, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.59.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $0.17 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.17. Vertex had a negative net margin of 7.32% and a positive return on equity of 26.84%. The business had revenue of $194.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $194.33 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Vertex will post 0.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Vertex announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Monday, November 3rd that allows the company to repurchase $150.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to repurchase up to 4.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VERX. DLD Asset Management LP bought a new position in Vertex during the second quarter worth $300,348,000. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Vertex by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,387,126 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,917,000 after buying an additional 689,143 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Vertex by 231.0% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,567,902 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,448,000 after buying an additional 2,490,097 shares during the last quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Vertex by 15.3% in the 2nd quarter. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,398,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,084,000 after acquiring an additional 450,695 shares during the period. Finally, Geneva Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Vertex by 47.7% during the second quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 3,017,735 shares of the company’s stock worth $106,632,000 after acquiring an additional 974,530 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 70.32% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Vertex

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management raised full‑year 2026 revenue and profitability targets — guidance of $823.5M–$831.5M in revenue and Adjusted EBITDA of $188M–$192M, above consensus revenue expectations, signaling confidence in growth and margin expansion. Vertex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Underlying operational momentum: Q4 ARR rose 11.3% to $671.0M, cloud revenue grew ~23% YoY, full‑year revenue +12.2%, and Adjusted EBITDA margins improved — evidence of recurring subscription and cloud lift. Vertex, Inc. Reports Q4 and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Value case highlighted by some analysts: a recent note argues VERX trades at depressed multiples after a ~70% multi‑year decline and that AI disruption fears may be overstated given the complexity of tax compliance — a contrarian buy thesis for long‑term investors. Vertex: Buy At Ultracheap Multiples, Product Is Safe From AI
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 results largely matched Street estimates (Non‑GAAP EPS $0.17; revenue $194.7M roughly in line), so the quarter itself was not a surprise. Vertex (VERX) Q4 Earnings Match Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 2026 revenue guide ($193.5M–$196.5M) is essentially in line with quarterly expectations, so near‑term revenue risk appears moderate. Vertex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP and cash‑flow concerns: Q4 GAAP net loss of $7.0M (improved y/y) and full‑year free cash flow declined to $47.6M from $77.7M — investors focused on cash conversion and quality of earnings may be cautious. Vertex, Inc. Reports Q4 and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Customer retention showed some softening: Net Revenue Retention fell to 105% (from 109%) and GRR to 94% — flagging less expansion across the installed base which could pressure future growth. Vertex Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Market skepticism persists: the stock has a history of a large decline and some investors remain worried about AI/competitive disruption and the reliance on non‑GAAP metrics (management notes they cannot reconcile forward Adjusted EBITDA to GAAP without unreasonable effort), which can amplify post‑earnings selling. Vertex: Buy At Ultracheap Multiples, Product Is Safe From AI

Vertex Company Profile

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.