Recent discussions on X surrounding Verona Pharma (VRNA) have been ignited by news of a potential $10 billion acquisition by Merck, with reports suggesting a deal valuing the company at $107 per share. Many users on the platform have expressed excitement over this development, highlighting the significant premium over recent closing prices and the potential of Verona’s FDA-approved drug Ohtuvayre, which targets chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The buzz reflects a broader interest in how this acquisition could reshape the respiratory treatment landscape.
Additionally, there’s been notable chatter about Verona Pharma’s rapid stock price surge of 122% over the past three months, with some on X pointing to the company’s strong clinical pipeline and market potential as key drivers. However, not all feedback is uniformly positive, as a few voices have raised questions about the sustainability of such growth amidst a downgrade from a brokerage to a hold rating. This mix of optimism and caution paints a dynamic picture of investor sentiment on the platform.
Note: This discussion summary was generated from an AI condensation of post data.
Verona Pharma Insider Trading Activity
Verona Pharma insiders have traded $VRNA stock on the open market 28 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 28 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $VRNA stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- DAVID ZACCARDELLI (President and CEO) has made 0 purchases and 8 sales selling 1,477,368 shares for an estimated $14,417,810.
- MARK W HAHN (Chief Financial Officer) has made 0 purchases and 8 sales selling 1,477,368 shares for an estimated $14,417,216.
- KATHLEEN A. RICKARD (Chief Medical Officer) has made 0 purchases and 5 sales selling 277,832 shares for an estimated $2,425,402.
- ANDREW FISHER (General Counsel) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 186,072 shares for an estimated $1,841,726.
- VIKAS SINHA has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 180,000 shares for an estimated $1,681,344.
- CHRISTINA ACKERMANN sold 40,000 shares for an estimated $337,600
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
Verona Pharma Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 149 institutional investors add shares of Verona Pharma stock to their portfolio, and 104 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- JANUS HENDERSON GROUP PLC added 3,849,724 shares (+230.9%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $244,418,976
- DARWIN GLOBAL MANAGEMENT, LTD. added 3,112,755 shares (+384.1%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $197,628,814
- NEA MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LLC removed 2,896,188 shares (-51.9%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $183,878,976
- RA CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, L.P. removed 1,766,830 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $112,176,036
- HOLOCENE ADVISORS, LP added 1,366,680 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $86,770,513
- MAVERICK CAPITAL LTD removed 1,345,018 shares (-43.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $85,395,192
- ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS GP, L.L.C. added 1,292,575 shares (+381.9%) to their portfolio in Q1 2025, for an estimated $82,065,586
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
Verona Pharma Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $VRNA in the last several months. We have seen 6 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- Wolfe Research issued a "Outperform" rating on 07/01/2025
- Piper Sandler issued a "Overweight" rating on 06/23/2025
- Wells Fargo issued a "Overweight" rating on 06/20/2025
- Roth Capital issued a "Buy" rating on 06/18/2025
- Cantor Fitzgerald issued a "Overweight" rating on 06/11/2025
- HC Wainwright & Co. issued a "Buy" rating on 06/02/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for Verona Pharma, check out Quiver Quantitative's $VRNA forecast page.
Verona Pharma Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $VRNA recently. We have seen 10 analysts offer price targets for $VRNA in the last 6 months, with a median target of $107.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- Tiago Fauth from Wells Fargo set a target price of $107.0 on 07/10/2025
- Suji Jeong from Jefferies set a target price of $107.0 on 07/09/2025
- Edward Nash from Canaccord Genuity set a target price of $107.0 on 07/09/2025
- Andy Chen from Wolfe Research set a target price of $170.0 on 07/01/2025
- Yasmeen Rahimi from Piper Sandler set a target price of $160.0 on 06/23/2025
- Boobalan Pachaiyappan from Roth Capital set a target price of $116.0 on 06/18/2025
- Olivia Brayer from Cantor Fitzgerald set a target price of $100.0 on 06/11/2025
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.
