Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA): Hedge Fund Ownership & Smart Money Signals (Q1 2026)

Q: Is it too late to buy Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, VRCA has moved -11.6% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to nan% for the XLV sector ETF — an outperformance of nan%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), VRCA gained +9.8% vs nan% for XLV. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA)

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

Smart Money Signals — VRCA

Based on 37 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q

For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their VRCA positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

🔻

Below peak — only 47% of 3.0Y high

47% of all-time peak

Only 37 funds hold VRCA today versus a peak of 78 funds at 2024 Q3 — just 47% of the maximum. Low institutional ownership can mean the stock is out of favor, but it also means there's a large pool of potential buyers if sentiment turns.

📉

Outflows — 49% fewer funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q

35 fewer hedge funds hold VRCA compared to a year ago (-49% decline). When institutions consistently reduce their exposure, it's worth exploring the underlying fundamental reasons driving them away.

🔴

Heavy selling pressure — only 38% buying

15 buying24 selling

Last quarter: 24 funds sold vs only 15 buyers. This is widespread institutional distribution — not a few funds rebalancing, but a broad exit. High conviction bearish signal.

⚠️

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-17 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter

Funds opening this position for the first time: 13 → 7 → 22 → 5. 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.

🔒

43% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 43% conviction (2yr+) ■ 27% medium ■ 30% new

16 out of 37 hedge funds have held VRCA 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 -8%, value -41%

Value

-40%

-7%

Last quarter: funds added -8% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -41%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.

➡️

Steady discovery — ~5 new funds/quarter

11 → 13 → 7 → 22 → 5 new funds/Q

New funds entering each quarter: 13 → 7 → 22 → 5. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.

🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 51% veterans vs 30% newcomers

■ 51% veterans ■ 19% 1-2yr ■ 30% new

Entry-cohort mix of 37 holders: 19 (51%) are 2+ year veterans, 7 entered 1–2 years ago, and 11 (30%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.

📋

Smaller funds dominant — 6% AUM from top-100

6% from top-100 AUM funds

11 of 37 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, but together hold only 6% of total institutional value. The stock is held primarily by smaller and mid-sized funds.

1.7

out of 10

Low Exit Risk

Exit risk score 1.7/10 — 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.

Metric	All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)	Prior (2025 Q4)	Change
Funds Holding	37	49	-24.49%
13F Shares	5M	5M	-7.54%
Total Value	$26M	$43M	-40.82%
New Positions	5	22	-17
Increased Positions	10	5	+5
Closed Positions	17	5	+12
Reduced Positions	7	10	-3
Total Calls	0	0	-
Total Puts	0	0	-
PUT/CALL Ratio	0.0	0.0	Bullish

Metric

All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)

Prior (2025 Q4)

Change

Funds Holding

-24.49%

13F Shares

-7.54%

Total Value

$26M

$43M

-40.82%

New Positions

-17

Increased Positions

Closed Positions

+12

Reduced Positions

-3

Total Calls

Total Puts

PUT/CALL Ratio

0.0

Bullish

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

37 + investors

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

QUARTER:

FILTER:All New Added To Reduced No Change | Overweight >5%

Top 25 VRCA holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
#	Investor	% of Portfolio	Shares	Mkt Value
1	Cannell Capital LLC	2.23%	685,123	$3.6M
2	Velan Capital Investment Management LP	1.56%	471,559	$2.5M
3	Caligan Partners LP	0.33%	923,910	$4.9M
4	Stonepine Capital Management, LLC	0.21%	99,735	$528K
5	Affinity Asset Advisors, LLC	0.19%	707,338	$3.7M
6	DAFNA Capital Management LLC	0.18%	153,712	$813K
7	Verdad Advisers, LP	0.07%	12,098	$64K
8	Armistice Capital, LLC	0.05%	518,181	$2.7M
9	Boothbay Fund Management, LLC	0.02%	280,734	$1.5M
10	Beck Mack & Oliver LLC	0.00%	12,000	$63K
11	Marshall Wace, LLP	0.00%	140,497	$743K
12	Two Sigma Advisers, LP	0.00%	44,430	$369K
13	Squarepoint Ops LLC	0.00%	75,208	$398K
14	New England Capital Financial Advisors LLC	0.00%	200	$1K
15	Renaissance Technologies LLC	0.00%	32,360	$171K
16	Two Sigma Investments, LP	0.00%	50,662	$268K
17	Mariner, LLC	0.00%	24,544	$130K
18	Fortitude Family Office, LLC	0.00%	127	—
19	Salomon & Ludwin, LLC	0.00%	290	$2K
20	Tower Research Capital LLC (TRC)	0.00%	856	$5K
21	Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Co	0.00%	65,101	$344K
22	International Assets Investment Management, LLC	0.00%	175	—
23	Jane Street Group, LLC	0.00%	49,211	$260K
24	Vanguard Capital Management LLC	0.00%	188,758	$999K
25	Morgan Stanley	0.00%	22,386	$118K

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 — Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for VRCA?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their VRCA positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for VRCA?

Heavy selling pressure — only 38% buying: Last quarter: 24 funds sold vs only 15 buyers. This is widespread institutional distribution — not a few funds rebalancing, but a broad exit. High conviction bearish signal.

What is the fund quality score for VRCA holders?

Smaller funds dominant — 6% AUM from top-100: 11 of 37 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, but together hold only 6% of total institutional value. The stock is held primarily by smaller and mid-sized funds.

How long have hedge funds held VRCA?

43% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 16 out of 37 hedge funds have held VRCA 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 Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, VRCA has moved -11.6% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to nan% for the XLV sector ETF — an outperformance of nan%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), VRCA has gained +9.8% vs nan% for XLV. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near 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.

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Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA)

Smart Money Signals — VRCA

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

Below peak — only 47% of 3.0Y high

Outflows — 49% fewer funds vs a year ago

Heavy selling pressure — only 38% buying

Fewer new buyers each quarter (-17 vs last Q)

43% of holders stayed for 2+ years

Buying through price weakness — shares -8%, value -41%

Steady discovery — ~5 new funds/quarter

Veteran-anchored — 51% veterans vs 30% newcomers

Smaller funds dominant — 6% AUM from top-100

Institutional Sentiment Summary — VRCA

Hedge Fund Ownership: VRCA

Market Analysis: VRCA

Analyst Price Targets

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Company Profile: VRCA

Is It Too Late to Buy Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Hedge Fund Positioning: VRCA

Statistics: VRCA

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Financial Highlights

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

Frequently Asked Questions — Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRCA)

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