Valneva Receives New Buy Rating from HC Wainwright & Co. with $18 Price Target

Valneva (VALN) received a new "Buy" rating from HC Wainwright & Co, with a price target of $18.00. This rating comes after a prior "Buy" rating with no price target update. Historically, Guggenheim maintained a "Buy" rating but lowered the price target to $14.00. Analysts forecast an average target price of $14.36 with an upside of 18.33%. The average brokerage recommendation is 1.8, indicating an "Outperform" status. The estimated GF Value in one year is $7.78, suggesting a downside of 35.91%.

Valneva (VALN), a vaccine company listed on the NASDAQ, has received a new "Buy" rating from HC Wainwright & Co., with a price target of $18.00 USD. This rating comes without a prior price target to update, as indicated in the data released on August 19, 2025. The current recommendation for Valneva (VALN) establishes a bullish outlook, showing confidence from the analyst in the company's future performance in the market. Investors will note that the stock's newly announced price target reflects a positive expectation moving forward [1].

Historically, Guggenheim maintained a "Buy" rating but lowered the price target to $14.00 from $15.00 on May 8, 2025, marking a reduction of 6.67% [1]. This historical perspective highlights the shifts in expectations around Valneva (VALN) over recent months, offering investors a basis for comparing the progression of analyst sentiment toward the stock.

Based on the one-year price targets offered by 4 analysts, the average target price for Valneva SE (VALN) is $14.36 with a high estimate of $17.92 and a low estimate of $8.66. The average target implies an upside of 18.33% from the current price of $12.14 [1]. The average brokerage recommendation from 4 brokerage firms is currently 1.8, indicating an "Outperform" status [1].

According to GuruFocus estimates, the estimated GF Value for Valneva SE (VALN) in one year is $7.78, suggesting a downside of 35.91% from the current price of $12.14 [1]. GF Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value that the stock should be traded at, calculated based on historical multiples and future estimates of business performance.

Valneva SE is a vaccine company focused on developing life-saving vaccines. Its portfolio includes three vaccines for travelers and segments related to commercialized vaccines, COVID-19 vaccine development, vaccine candidates, and technologies and services. The company generates majority of its revenue from product sales.

In the high-stakes arena of vaccine development, Valneva SE has carved a niche with its IXCHIQ® chikungunya vaccine, a product that epitomizes both promise and peril. Despite a €20.8M net loss in H1 2025, driven by R&D costs and reduced cash burn, the company's IXCHIQ® vaccine achieved 650% sales growth. Brazil's 2025 approval of IXCHIQ® expanded market access, supported by partnerships with Instituto Butantan and Serum Institute of India. Safety concerns over 17 SAEs, including two deaths, in elderly patients prompted regulatory pauses, though the FDA lifted restrictions for 60+ in August 2025 [2].

Valneva's financial resilience and strategic partnerships position it to hedge risks and target high-growth markets. The company's operating cash burn plummeted to €10.9 million in H1 2025 from €66.3 million in H1 2024, a 77.7% reduction. With €161.3 million in cash and equivalents as of June 2025, Valneva has sufficient liquidity to fund key milestones, including Phase 3 data readouts for its Lyme disease vaccine (VLA15) and continued development of Shigella and Zika candidates [2].

Valneva's stock has traded in a volatile range over the past year, reflecting both optimism over its pipeline and skepticism about IXCHIQ®'s safety profile. The FDA's evolving stance under new leadership and the potential for further SAE reports could delay approvals or dampen uptake. Investors should monitor the Phase 3 Lyme data and the outcomes of the post-marketing IXCHIQ® study.

References:
[1] https://www.gurufocus.com/news/3068579/valneva-valn-receives-new-buy-rating-from-hc-wainwright-co-valn-stock-news
[2] https://www.ainvest.com/news/valneva-ixchiq-vaccine-navigating-safety-concerns-unlock-long-term-2508/