Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Vericel Corp (VCEL)

274 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in VCEL. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +3
Streak
2Q ▲
Buyers last Q
51%

Smart Money Signals — VCEL

Based on 276 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added VCEL than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak
276 hedge funds hold VCEL right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding VCEL is almost the same as a year ago (+8 funds, +3% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟡

Slight buying edge — 51% buying

142 buying134 selling
Last quarter: 142 funds bought or added vs 134 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.
⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-20 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 37 → 31 → 59 → 39. Each quarter fewer new institutions are entering. This usually means most funds that wanted in are already in — the stock is well-known but the pool of potential new buyers is shrinking.
🔒

62% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 62% conviction (2yr+) ■ 21% medium ■ 17% new
171 out of 276 hedge funds have held VCEL for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares +7%, value -9%

Value
-9%
Shares
+6%
Last quarter: funds added +7% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -9%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
📈

Growing discovery — still being found

33 → 37 → 31 → 59 → 39 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 37 → 31 → 59 → 39. A growing number of institutions are discovering VCEL each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 66% veterans vs 22% newcomers

■ 66% veterans ■ 12% 1-2yr ■ 22% new
Entry-cohort mix of 280 holders: 184 (66%) are 2+ year veterans, 35 entered 1–2 years ago, and 61 (22%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
✅

Strong quality — 26% AUM from major funds

26% from top-100 AUM funds
50 of 275 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 26% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.
3.5
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.5/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — VCEL

In 2026 Q1, 142 hedge funds were net buyers of VCEL (39 opened a new position, 103 added to an existing one), while 134 reduced or exited (98 trimmed, 36 sold completely) — a 51% buyer ratio, indicating a slight buying edge. Net buying has persisted for two consecutive quarters, a positive momentum signal. 26% of total institutional value in VCEL is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting strong institutional quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +3 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 276.

Hedge Fund Ownership: VCEL

How many hedge funds hold VCEL — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of VCEL vs. share price

Market Analysis: VCEL

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: VCEL

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Vericel Corp (VCEL) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much VCEL has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLV) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 78d ago
VCEL
+21.6%
XLV
+2.8%

VCEL outperformed XLV by +18.8% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 33d ago
VCEL
+18.6%
XLV
+3.9%

Since the filing became public, VCEL outperformed XLV by +14.7% .

Interpretation: The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

25 top-rated funds 2 high-conviction
Consensus
6.1
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
1.6
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: VCEL
274 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in VCEL. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 274 273 0.37%
13F Shares 57M 54M 6.59%
Total Value $1.75B $1.93B -9.11%
New Positions 38 59 -21
Increased Positions 102 102 -
Closed Positions 37 29 +8
Reduced Positions 98 78 +20
Total Calls 2 3 -33.33%
Total Puts 3 2 50.0%
PUT/CALL Ratio 1.5 0.67 Bearish

Statistics: VCEL

View More

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Market Cap --
Enterprise Value --
Trailing P/E --
Forward P/E --
PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
Price/Sales (ttm) --
Price/Book (mrq) --
Enterprise Value/Revenue --
Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

Profitability
Profit Margin --
Return on Assets (ttm) --
Return on Equity (ttm) --
Income Statement & Cash Flow
Revenue (ttm) --
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm) --
Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm) --

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

274 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in VCEL. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 VCEL holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Kopp Family Office, LLC 3.62% 163,355 $5.3M
2 Soleus Capital Management, L.P. 3.32% 2,549,079 $82.0M
3 Brown Capital Management LLC 2.71% 592,494 $19.1M
4 SG Capital Management LLC 2.58% 1,209,287 $38.9M
5 Summit Creek Advisors LLC 2.41% 365,277 $11.8M
6 SG Capital Management LLC 1.60% 750,000 $24.1M
7 Conestoga Capital Advisors, LLC 1.58% 2,463,312 $79.2M
8 Geneva Capital Management LLC 1.13% 1,646,818 $53.0M
9 First Washington CORP 1.00% 109,759 $3.5M
10 Crawford Fund Management, LLC 0.80% 129,988 $4.2M
11 Osterweis Capital Management Inc 0.67% 401,045 $12.9M
12 Torrey Growth & Income Advisors 0.60% 44,683 $1.4M
13 Divisadero Street Capital Management, LP 0.57% 422,178 $13.6M
14 Bridge City Capital, LLC 0.49% 54,575 $1.8M
15 nVerses Capital, LLC 0.38% 12,842 $413K
16 Formula Growth Ltd 0.37% 25,824 $831K
17 Next Century Growth Investors LLC 0.36% 152,779 $4.9M
18 Congress Asset Management Co 0.35% 1,506,918 $48.5M
19 Champlain Investment Partners, LLC 0.33% 815,173 $26.2M
20 Perkins Capital Management Inc 0.32% 10,450 $336K
21 Rhenman & Partners Asset Management AB 0.28% 70,000 $2.3M
22 Intrinsic Edge Capital Management LLC 0.27% 50,000 $1.6M
23 Granite Investment Partners, LLC 0.24% 120,236 $3.9M
24 Rice Hall James & Associates, LLC 0.24% 132,063 $4.2M
25 Peregrine Capital Management LLC 0.23% 194,915 $6.3M
Investor Ownership
History 		% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Vericel Corp (VCEL)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for VCEL?

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row: For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added VCEL than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for VCEL?

Slight buying edge — 51% buying: Last quarter: 142 funds bought or added vs 134 that reduced or exited. It's nearly a 50/50 split — some institutions are convinced, others are taking profits. This mixed picture is normal near price highs.

What is the fund quality score for VCEL holders?

Strong quality — 26% AUM from major funds: 50 of 275 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 26% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held VCEL?

62% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 171 out of 276 hedge funds have held VCEL for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Vericel Corp (VCEL) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, VCEL has moved +18.6% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +3.9% for the XLV sector ETF — an outperformance of +14.7%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), VCEL has gained +21.6% vs +2.8% for XLV. The stock has meaningfully outrun its sector. The trade has partially played out; entry is at a premium to the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

Full history →