Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of Vericel in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $61.00 price target (down previously from $67.00) on shares of Vericel in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. BTIG Research upped their price objective on Vericel from $56.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their target price on Vericel from $64.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $65.00 target price on shares of Vericel in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $62.29.

Vericel Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ VCEL opened at $48.85 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 814.30 and a beta of 1.78. Vericel has a 52-week low of $39.12 and a 52-week high of $63.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $56.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.99.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Robert L. Md Zerbe sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total transaction of $156,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,595 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,662,187.50. This trade represents a 8.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Siegal sold 3,908 shares of Vericel stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $61.99, for a total value of $242,256.92. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,206 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $74,759.94. The trade was a 76.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $466,200. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VCEL. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vericel by 8.4% during the fourth quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,357 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $129,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc boosted its holdings in Vericel by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 7,952 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $437,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in Vericel by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 6,111 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $336,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Vericel by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 23,900 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,312,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Avantax Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Vericel by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 13,803 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $758,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the last quarter.

About Vericel

Vericel Corporation, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and distribution of cellular therapies for sports medicine and severe burn care markets in North America. The company markets autologous cell therapy products comprising MACI, an autologous cultured chondrocytes on porcine collagen membrane for the repair of symptomatic, and single or multiple full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee; Epicel, a permanent skin replacement humanitarian use device for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with deep-dermal or full-thickness burns; and NexoBrid, a biological orphan product for eschar removal in adults with deep partial-thickness and/or full-thickness thermal burns.