Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.34 EPS

Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported ($1.80) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.46) by ($0.34), Zacks reports. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.12) EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Vaxcyte’s conference call:

• OPUS phase III program for VAX-31 is underway with OPUS‑1 (head‑to‑head vs Prevnar 20 and PCV21) and the company expects top‑line safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity data in the fourth quarter of this year.
• Manufacturing readiness advanced: the dedicated large‑scale manufacturing facility was completed on time and on budget, and a high‑volume fill‑finish line in North Carolina is being built as part of up to a $1 billion U.S. manufacturing investment.
• Balance sheet strengthened — $2.4 billion in cash and investments at year‑end 2025 plus ~$600.2 million net proceeds from a February equity offering, giving management confidence in runway to at least the end of 2028.
• 2026 spending is expected to increase meaningfully, driven by manufacturing scale‑up, building commercial VAX‑31 supply, and larger late‑stage clinical programs, which will raise near‑term R&D and operating expenses.
• Infant program progress: the VAX‑31 infant Phase II optimized‑dose arm has completed enrollment (900 infants dosed), with top‑line data for the primary 3‑dose series and booster expected by the first half of 2027.

Vaxcyte Stock Up 1.8%

Vaxcyte stock traded up $1.09 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $61.35. 822,825 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,547,424. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $50.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.23. Vaxcyte has a 1 year low of $27.66 and a 1 year high of $83.33.

Insider Transactions at Vaxcyte

In other Vaxcyte news, insider Harpreet S. Dhaliwal sold 9,743 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.69, for a total transaction of $454,900.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 23,928 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,117,198.32. This trade represents a 28.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, SVP Elvia Cowan sold 11,623 shares of Vaxcyte stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.92, for a total transaction of $556,974.16. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 14,534 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $696,469.28. The trade was a 44.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 3.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PCVX. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Vaxcyte by 156.2% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Vaxcyte by 1,463.4% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 641 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vaxcyte by 22,500.0% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 1,350 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S purchased a new stake in shares of Vaxcyte in the third quarter worth about $76,000. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Vaxcyte by 110.8% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 2,028 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.78% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on PCVX shares. Needham & Company LLC boosted their target price on Vaxcyte from $90.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Leerink Partners set a $77.00 target price on shares of Vaxcyte and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Vaxcyte in a report on Friday, January 9th. BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Vaxcyte in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $116.00 price target on shares of Vaxcyte in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.83.

About Vaxcyte

Vaxcyte, Inc (NASDAQ: PCVX) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing a new generation of preventive vaccines aimed at combating serious bacterial diseases. Headquartered in San Carlos, California, Vaxcyte leverages proprietary conjugation technologies to design and manufacture multivalent vaccines targeting pathogens for which there remain significant unmet medical needs. The company’s platform is intended to streamline the production of conjugate vaccines by improving antigen presentation and broadening strain coverage compared with conventional approaches.

Vaxcyte’s lead candidate, VAX-24, is a 24-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine designed to protect against 24 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae.