Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Price Target Cut to $18.00 by Analysts at Stephens

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) had its price objective dropped by equities researchers at Stephens from $20.00 to $18.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Stephens’ price target indicates a potential upside of 34.33% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup raised their target price on Vertex from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Vertex from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Vertex in a research report on Monday, June 8th. DA Davidson set a $15.00 target price on shares of Vertex in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Vertex in a research note on Monday, June 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.00 price target on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $18.73.

Vertex Price Performance

VERX opened at $13.40 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Vertex has a 52-week low of $10.21 and a 52-week high of $33.54. The company has a 50 day moving average of $12.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.46. The company has a market cap of $2.17 billion, a P/E ratio of -268.00 and a beta of 0.83.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.01. Vertex had a negative net margin of 0.84% and a positive return on equity of 26.04%. The business had revenue of $203.97 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $202.21 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.15 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Vertex will post 0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vertex

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VERX. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of Vertex during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $37,796,000. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Vertex by 9.2% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 2,728,504 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,640,000 after buying an additional 229,774 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in Vertex by 76.7% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,161,501 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,584,000 after acquiring an additional 937,905 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Vertex by 8.0% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,849,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,928,000 after acquiring an additional 136,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park West Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Vertex by 46.7% during the 4th quarter. Park West Asset Management LLC now owns 1,833,428 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,614,000 after acquiring an additional 583,428 shares during the last quarter. 70.32% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Vertex

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings exceeded expectations: Vertex reported adjusted earnings of $0.20 per share, ahead of the $0.19 consensus estimate and up from $0.15 a year earlier. Revenue increased 10.5% year over year to approximately $204.0 million, also topping the $202.2 million consensus cited by some analysts. Vertex quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Cash generation and profitability improved: Gross profit rose to $131.3 million, operating losses narrowed to $4.4 million, and operating cash flow reached $30.9 million. The company ended the quarter with $230.5 million in cash and equivalents. Vertex Q2 2026 financial data
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increased: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target from $14 to $15 while retaining a “market perform” rating. The higher target reflects some confidence in Vertex’s execution, although the rating remains cautious.
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying provides a supportive signal: Recent filings show substantially more insider purchases than sales over the past six months, including purchases by CEO Christopher Young and other executives. This may indicate management views the current valuation as attractive. Vertex insider trading activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year outlook is broadly in line: Vertex guided for 2026 revenue of $825 million to $830 million, compared with the $827.2 million analyst consensus, suggesting no major change to expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 guidance was slightly below estimates: Management forecast third-quarter revenue of $208 million to $211 million, versus the $211.6 million consensus. That modest shortfall, along with the company’s still-negative net margin, could weigh on sentiment despite the quarterly earnings beat. Vertex Q2 earnings and guidance

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.