CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Trading 1.1% Higher – Here’s Why

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) shares traded up 1.1% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $43.38 and last traded at $42.85. 343,451 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 2,232,332 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.37.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on CRSP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $66.00 to $57.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, February 19th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRISPR Therapeutics to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on CRISPR Therapeutics from $53.00 to $48.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.11.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Up 3.2 %

The business’s fifty day moving average is $42.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $45.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.75 billion, a PE ratio of -10.00 and a beta of 1.77.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported ($0.44) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.15) by $0.71. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 18.46% and a negative net margin of 981.54%. Sell-side analysts expect that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at CRISPR Therapeutics

In other news, CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 18,360 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.20, for a total value of $1,013,472.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 171,613 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,473,037.60. This represents a 9.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director John Greene bought 7,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $44.85 per share, with a total value of $313,950.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 7,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $313,950. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 4.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Highline Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 69.20% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics is a gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases.