Investors Purchase Large Volume of Call Options on Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX)

Vaxcyte, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCVX) saw some unusual options trading on Monday. Stock traders bought 2,615 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 17% compared to the typical daily volume of 2,238 call options.

Vaxcyte Stock Down 9.6%

PCVX stock opened at $66.70 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $59.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.40. Vaxcyte has a 52-week low of $39.87 and a 52-week high of $90.75. The company has a market capitalization of $9.92 billion, a PE ratio of -8.74 and a beta of 1.23.

Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($1.97) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($2.06) by $0.09. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.22) EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Vaxcyte will post -8.07 EPS for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Vaxcyte

Here are the key news stories impacting Vaxcyte this week:

• Positive Sentiment: VAX-31 met all prespecified primary endpoints. In the pivotal OPUS-1 Phase 3 trial, VAX-31 produced immune responses comparable to Prevnar 20 and/or Capvaxive across the studied age groups. The results strengthen the candidate’s prospects in the adult pneumococcal vaccine market. Vaxcyte Reports Positive Topline Data
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts viewed the readout as potentially supporting competition with Pfizer’s Prevnar 20 and Merck’s Capvaxive in a market estimated by Jefferies at $3 billion to $6 billion or more. Needham raised its price target to $122 from $110 while maintaining a Buy rating, and BTIG reaffirmed Buy with an $89 target. Needham Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Seeking Alpha characterized Vaxcyte as a “Strong Buy,” citing the VAX-31 trial success, potential invasive pneumococcal disease data, and additional clinical readouts expected in the first half of 2027. These remain forward-looking catalysts rather than near-term revenue.
• Neutral Sentiment: Options activity was elevated, including heavier-than-usual put buying and moderately higher call volume. This indicates increased trading interest and potential hedging, but does not establish a definitive directional outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Vaxcyte launched separate offerings for approximately $500 million of common stock and pre-funded warrants and $500 million of convertible senior notes due 2032, with possible over-allotments. The equity issuance could dilute existing shareholders, while the debt offering adds financing complexity. The announcement overshadowed the clinical milestone and drove the stock lower after its initial rally. Vaxcyte Financing Announcement

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Grant Pickering sold 16,198 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.63, for a total value of $901,094.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 453,247 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,214,130.61. This represents a 3.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Andrew Guggenhime sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.89, for a total value of $538,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 105,176 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,667,934.64. This trade represents a 8.68% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 55,890 shares of company stock valued at $3,111,189. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Vaxcyte

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Vaxcyte during the second quarter worth about $1,044,355,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Vaxcyte in the second quarter valued at approximately $701,520,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Vaxcyte by 23.8% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 16,575,875 shares of the company’s stock valued at $960,231,000 after purchasing an additional 3,188,687 shares during the last quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Vaxcyte by 35.9% during the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,296,333 shares of the company’s stock valued at $521,213,000 after purchasing an additional 2,981,038 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Vaxcyte by 24.7% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,001,565 shares of the company’s stock worth $407,001,000 after purchasing an additional 1,386,968 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.78% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on PCVX. Guggenheim upped their price target on Vaxcyte from $116.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Vaxcyte from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Vaxcyte from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Needham & Company LLC upped their target price on shares of Vaxcyte from $110.00 to $122.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $89.00 price target on shares of Vaxcyte in a report on Monday. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $108.60.

Vaxcyte Company Profile

Vaxcyte, Inc (NASDAQ: PCVX) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing vaccines to help prevent serious bacterial infections. The company uses its cell-free protein synthesis and advanced conjugation technologies to design vaccines intended to provide broad and durable protection while addressing limitations of existing vaccine products.

Vaxcyte’s lead programs are pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidates, including VAX-24 and VAX-31, which are designed to target a broad range of pneumococcal serotypes.