Stephens Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) Stock Price

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) had its price target cut by stock analysts at Stephens from $20.00 to $18.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Stephens’ price objective suggests a potential upside of 34.33% from the stock’s current price.

VERX has been the subject of several other reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Vertex from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Vertex from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Vertex from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Vertex in a research report on Monday, June 29th. They set a “buy” rating and a $14.00 target price for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $21.00 target price on shares of Vertex in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.73.

Vertex Stock Up 3.8%

Shares of NASDAQ VERX opened at $13.40 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -268.00 and a beta of 0.83. Vertex has a 52 week low of $10.21 and a 52 week high of $33.54. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $12.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37.

Vertex (NASDAQ:VERX) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.01. Vertex had a negative net margin of 0.84% and a positive return on equity of 26.04%. The company had revenue of $203.97 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $202.21 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.15 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Vertex will post 0.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in VERX. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new position in shares of Vertex in the 1st quarter valued at $37,796,000. Wasatch Advisors LP purchased a new stake in shares of Vertex during the 2nd quarter valued at $88,293,000. Legacy Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Vertex by 2,730.1% during the 3rd quarter. Legacy Advisors LLC now owns 1,343,779 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,312,000 after buying an additional 1,296,297 shares during the last quarter. Park West Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Vertex during the 3rd quarter worth $30,988,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Vertex by 76.7% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,161,501 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,584,000 after buying an additional 937,905 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.32% of the company’s stock.

More Vertex News

Here are the key news stories impacting Vertex this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings exceeded expectations: Vertex reported adjusted earnings of $0.20 per share, ahead of the $0.19 consensus estimate and up from $0.15 a year earlier. Revenue increased 10.5% year over year to approximately $204.0 million, also topping the $202.2 million consensus cited by some analysts. Vertex quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Cash generation and profitability improved: Gross profit rose to $131.3 million, operating losses narrowed to $4.4 million, and operating cash flow reached $30.9 million. The company ended the quarter with $230.5 million in cash and equivalents. Vertex Q2 2026 financial data
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst target increased: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target from $14 to $15 while retaining a “market perform” rating. The higher target reflects some confidence in Vertex’s execution, although the rating remains cautious.
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying provides a supportive signal: Recent filings show substantially more insider purchases than sales over the past six months, including purchases by CEO Christopher Young and other executives. This may indicate management views the current valuation as attractive. Vertex insider trading activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year outlook is broadly in line: Vertex guided for 2026 revenue of $825 million to $830 million, compared with the $827.2 million analyst consensus, suggesting no major change to expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 guidance was slightly below estimates: Management forecast third-quarter revenue of $208 million to $211 million, versus the $211.6 million consensus. That modest shortfall, along with the company’s still-negative net margin, could weigh on sentiment despite the quarterly earnings beat. Vertex Q2 earnings and guidance

About Vertex

Vertex Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: VERX) is a specialty refiner and marketer of transportation fuels and petrochemical feedstocks in the United States. The company collects and processes a variety of waste petroleum products, including used motor oil and industrial lubricants, which it converts into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, asphalt, and other refined products. By leveraging proprietary re-refining technologies and strategic feedstock sourcing, Vertex Energy aims to deliver cost-effective, lower-carbon fuel solutions to wholesale and retail customers across the country.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Vertex operates a network of refining and blending facilities in key regions, including the Central, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.