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Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Verona Pharma logo with Medical background

Verona Pharma plc (NASDAQ:VRNA - Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Monday . The stock had previously closed at $34.98, but opened at $33.55. Verona Pharma shares last traded at $34.62, with a volume of 413,033 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on VRNA

Verona Pharma Stock Up 9.1 %

The company has a quick ratio of 8.61, a current ratio of 8.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $30.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.17. The firm has a market cap of $3.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -24.77 and a beta of 0.42.

Verona Pharma (NASDAQ:VRNA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The company reported ($0.88) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by ($0.53). During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.11) EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Verona Pharma plc will post -2.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Verona Pharma

In related news, CFO Mark W. Hahn sold 141,360 shares of Verona Pharma stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total transaction of $619,156.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,672,560 shares in the company, valued at $59,885,812.80. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CFO Mark W. Hahn sold 141,360 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total value of $619,156.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 13,672,560 shares in the company, valued at $59,885,812.80. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO David Zaccardelli sold 110,456 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.38, for a total value of $483,797.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 14,894,464 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,237,752.32. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 868,840 shares of company stock worth $3,805,519 in the last three months. 4.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Verona Pharma

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CWM LLC acquired a new stake in Verona Pharma during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. EMC Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Verona Pharma in the second quarter valued at $38,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Verona Pharma by 25.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,610 shares of the company's stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 529 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legato Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Verona Pharma in the 2nd quarter worth $154,000. Institutional investors own 85.88% of the company's stock.

About Verona Pharma

(Get Free Report)

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.

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