Insider Buying: Verrica Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VRCA) CEO Purchases $24,550.00 in Stock

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) CEO Jayson Rieger bought 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $4.91 per share, with a total value of $24,550.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 207,593 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,019,281.63. The trade was a 2.47% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

VRCA opened at $4.86 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $5.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.45. Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a 1 year low of $3.28 and a 1 year high of $9.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.49 million, a PE ratio of -2.91 and a beta of 1.49.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Armistice Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals by 75.1% in the 4th quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 1,118,925 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,298,000 after purchasing an additional 479,732 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth about $99,000. Man Group plc acquired a new position in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter worth about $94,000. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at about $127,000. Finally, Beck Mack & Oliver LLC bought a new stake in Verrica Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at about $100,000. 42.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “sell” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. HC Wainwright began coverage on Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $12.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research upgraded Verrica Pharmaceuticals from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Verrica Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Verrica Pharmaceuticals has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $14.50.

About Verrica Pharmaceuticals

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical‐stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of topical therapies for dermatological conditions. Its lead investigational product, VP-102, is a standardized formulation of cantharidin in a pre-measured applicator designed to treat molluscum contagiosum and common warts. Verrica’s approach emphasizes consistency of dosing and patient convenience, aiming to improve upon off‐label use of existing treatments.

Beyond VP-102, Verrica is advancing VP-103, a next‐generation topical candidate intended to optimize tolerability while maintaining efficacy against viral skin lesions.