Clinical Success Lifts Vera (VERA) Shares, Boosting Fund Returns

Voya Investment Management’s Voya MidCap Opportunities Fund released its Q4 2025 investor letter, titled “Seeking a More Favorable Risk/Return Trade-off, outlining a quarter marked by solid market gains but relative fund underperformance. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. During the quarter, the Fund underperformed its benchmark, the Russell Mid Cap Growth Index, primarily due to unfavorable stock selection, even as U.S. equity markets advanced on moderating inflation, robust earnings, and continued enthusiasm around artificial intelligence-driven investment. Looking ahead, the managers highlighted a cautiously constructive outlook, noting that while geopolitical risks and policy uncertainty persist, broadening market leadership beyond mega-cap growth, sustained corporate capital expenditure, and AI-led innovation could support returns, reinforcing the need for active and flexible positioning. In addition, please check the fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2025.

Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) is a clinical-stage biotech company developing targeted treatments for kidney diseases, with its lead drug aimed at IgA nephropathy. Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) was among the fund’s top contributors in 4Q25, supported by a non-benchmark position. Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) represented 0.93% of portfolio investments at quarter-end. The one-month return of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) was -9.09% while its shares have traded between $18.53 to $56.05 over the last 52 weeks. On January 22, 2026, Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) stock closed at approximately $45.77 per share, with a market capitalization of about $3.249 billion.

Voya Investment Management’s Voya MidCap Opportunities Fund stated the following regarding Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) in its Q4 2025 investor letter:

“Key contributors to performance included Vera Therapeutics, Inc., Comfort Systems USA, Inc., and Dollar Tree, Inc. Owning a non-benchmark position in Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) contributed to performance driven by positive phase three clinical trial results for their kidney disease treatment, and AI-enabled drug discovery.”

Clinical Success Lifts Vera (VERA) Shares, Boosting Fund Returns

Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 36 hedge fund portfolios held Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) at the end of the third quarter, which was 40 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

In another article, we covered Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VERA) and shared the list of booming stocks to buy. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q4 2025 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.