Vericel Revenue Jumped 20%. One Biotech Investor Just Reported Adding $63 Million More
Key Points
Soleus Capital added 1,785,079 Vericel shares last quarter; the estimated trade value was $63.40 million.
Meanwhile, the quarter-end Vericel stake value rose by $54.49 million, a change reflecting both trading and stock price movement.
The quarter-end position was 2,549,079 shares valued at $82.00 million.
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Soleus Capital Management disclosed a significant buy of Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL), adding 1,785,079 shares in the first quarter—an estimated $63.40 million trade based on quarterly average pricing—according to a May 14, 2026, SEC filing.
What happened
According to a SEC filing dated May 14, 2026, Soleus Capital Management, L.P. increased its position in Vericel by 1,785,079 shares during the first quarter. The estimated transaction value was $63.40 million, calculated using the period’s average closing price. The quarter-end value of the stake increased by $54.49 million, a figure reflecting both new purchases and underlying price changes.
What else to know
- The filing reflects a buy; Vericel now represents 3.32% of Soleus Capital’s 13F assets under management.
- Top five holdings following the filing:
- NASDAQ:KRYS: $297.87 million (12.1% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:CELC: $146.60 million (5.9% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:TGTX: $133.85 million (5.4% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:PODD: $118.03 million (4.8% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:NVCR: $114.37 million (4.6% of AUM)
- As of Friday, Vericel shares were priced at $33.33, down about 20% over the past year and well underperforming the S&P 500, which is up 28%.
Company overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price (as of Friday) | $33.33 |
| Market Capitalization | $1.7 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $292.1 million |
| Net Income (TTM) | $21.5 million |
Company snapshot
- Vericel develops and markets autologous cell therapy products, including MACI for cartilage repair and Epicel for severe burn treatment; it also has NexoBrid in the preapproval stage for burn care.
- The company generates revenue by manufacturing and distributing proprietary cellular therapies, primarily targeting sports medicine and burn care markets in the United States.
- Its main customers are hospitals, clinics, and specialized medical centers treating orthopedic injuries and severe burns in adult and pediatric patients.
Vericel is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in advanced cell therapies for orthopedic and burn care indications.
What this transaction means for investors
While Vericel's stock has struggled over the past year, the underlying business continues to post the kind of growth and margin expansion that long-term healthcare investors tend to look for.
The company's latest results showed why. Second-quarter revenue climbed 20% year over year to $63.2 million, driven by 21% growth from its flagship MACI cartilage repair therapy. Gross margin expanded to 74%, up more than four percentage points from a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $13.4 million. The company also ended the quarter with roughly $164 million in cash and investments and no debt.
Management appears increasingly confident in the runway ahead. CEO Nick Colangelo highlighted continued momentum from the MACI Arthro launch and said the company expects "continued strong revenue growth and profitability" through the remainder of the year. Vericel also received FDA clearance to begin a Phase 3 study evaluating MACI for ankle cartilage defects, opening another potential growth avenue.
In other words, it seems Vericel is becoming a commercial-stage business with growing revenue, expanding margins, and multiple opportunities to deepen adoption of existing products. That combination likely explains why a specialist healthcare fund was willing to add aggressively despite recent stock weakness.
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Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Insulet, Krystal Biotech, and NovoCure. The Motley Fool recommends TG Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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