Veracyte (NASDAQ:VCYT) Shares Gap Up on Analyst Upgrade

Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:VCYT)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday after Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on the stock from $44.00 to $48.00. The stock had previously closed at $35.72, but opened at $38.51. Needham & Company LLC currently has a buy rating on the stock. Veracyte shares last traded at $37.5880, with a volume of 163,431 shares traded.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on VCYT. Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Veracyte from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price target on shares of Veracyte from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Veracyte from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Veracyte from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Veracyte in a research note on Monday, January 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Marc Stapley sold 7,668 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.09, for a total transaction of $361,086.12. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 318,603 shares in the company, valued at $15,003,015.27. This trade represents a 2.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Karin Eastham sold 20,000 shares of Veracyte stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.45, for a total transaction of $909,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 13,554 shares in the company, valued at $616,029.30. This trade represents a 59.61% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 54,385 shares of company stock valued at $2,483,179. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Veracyte

Here are the key news stories impacting Veracyte this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 operational strength — revenue grew ~18% year-over-year (~$140.6M) with meaningful margin and cash-flow improvement (gross profit and operating profit up sharply, cash from operations roughly doubled), which lifted investor sentiment after the print. Veracyte, Inc. (VCYT) Stock Rises on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Management set 2026 revenue guidance of roughly 10%–13% growth and reiterated progress on MRD programs and the commercial launch of Prosigna, providing forward revenue visibility and pipeline catalysts. Veracyte outlines 10%–13% revenue growth for 2026 while advancing MRD and Prosigna launches
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat consensus estimates, reinforcing the top-line story even as EPS metrics vary by measure. Veracyte (VCYT) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings-call detail and management commentary are available for investors parsing growth cadence, commercialization timing and margin drivers; read the transcript for nuance. Veracyte, Inc. (VCYT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: EPS picture is mixed across reporters — some outlets show an adjusted/GAAP beat, others show a tiny GAAP miss, creating short-term ambiguity around profitability momentum. MarketBeat Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling noted in recent months (multiple executive sales), which some investors may view as a governance or conviction concern despite operational progress. Veracyte, Inc. (VCYT) Stock Rises on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed (buy ratings and $40–$50+ targets from some firms, but an Underweight from Morgan Stanley and dispersion in targets), so upside depends on execution against guidance and product launches. Veracyte, Inc. (VCYT) Stock Rises on Q4 2025 Earnings

Institutional Trading of Veracyte

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Veracyte by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 8,504,088 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $291,945,000 after acquiring an additional 403,737 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership boosted its position in Veracyte by 16.6% during the third quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership now owns 7,370,467 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $253,028,000 after purchasing an additional 1,048,692 shares during the period. ARK Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Veracyte by 17.5% in the third quarter. ARK Investment Management LLC now owns 4,465,775 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $153,310,000 after purchasing an additional 665,686 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Veracyte by 3.8% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,360,913 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $183,594,000 after purchasing an additional 161,239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Veracyte by 3.2% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,118,166 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $107,042,000 after purchasing an additional 95,664 shares during the period.

Veracyte Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average is $40.04 and its 200 day moving average is $37.78. The company has a market capitalization of $2.88 billion, a PE ratio of 96.68 and a beta of 1.91.

Veracyte Company Profile

Veracyte, Inc is a genomic diagnostics company focused on improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care through advanced molecular testing. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, the company develops and commercializes minimally invasive genomic tests that aid in the diagnosis of thyroid, lung and other diseases. Veracyte’s proprietary platform analyzes gene expression patterns in clinical samples to help physicians make more informed treatment decisions, reducing unnecessary surgeries and improving patient outcomes.

The company’s flagship product, the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier, is designed to assess thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology, helping clinicians distinguish benign from suspicious nodules.