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Investing.com - Goldman Sachs has initiated coverage on Vaxcyte (NASDAQ:PCVX) with a Neutral rating and a $38.00 price target, according to a research note released Friday. The stock, which has declined over 70% in the past year, currently trades near $33, with InvestingPro analysis suggesting the stock is slightly undervalued.
The investment bank views Vaxcyte’s proprietary vaccine discovery and development platform as having generated validating data for its pneumococcal conjugate vaccine franchise over the past three years, positioning the company as a potential leading player in the approximately $8 billion pneumococcal vaccine market. According to InvestingPro data, the company maintains a strong financial position with a current ratio of 11.11 and minimal debt-to-equity of 0.03, providing ample runway for its development programs.
Goldman Sachs notes that Vaxcyte stock experienced a sharp selloff earlier this year following disappointing topline results from a key Phase 2 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine study in infants, which could limit near-term stock performance.
The firm cites an extended timeline to the next key catalysts as a limiting factor, with Phase 3 data for the company’s pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in adults not expected until late 2026 and the more significant Phase 2 data in infants delayed until the first half of 2027.
Goldman Sachs also points to persisting regulatory uncertainty related to vaccines and increasing competition from market incumbents like Pfizer, Merck, Sanofi, and GSK, which are developing their own higher valency programs, though none as advanced as Vaxcyte’s VAX-31 have entered clinical trials.
In other recent news, Vaxcyte has advanced its VAX-31 pneumococcal vaccine to the final stage of an infant study. This study is evaluating a 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine designed to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and is being compared to Prevnar 20, the current standard of care. Additionally, Guggenheim has adjusted its price target for Vaxcyte to $116, down from $160, while maintaining a Buy rating. The adjustment is attributed to shifts in the timelines for Vaxcyte’s VAX-31 vaccine programs. Guggenheim highlighted that Vaxcyte’s recent second-quarter update provided crucial information about both the adult and infant VAX-31 programs. This update is considered to have created an improved stock setup for investors, especially with Phase 3 adult trial results anticipated in 2026. These developments reflect the company’s ongoing efforts in advancing its vaccine candidates.
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