HC Wainwright Issues Pessimistic Estimate for LENZ Earnings

LENZ Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:LENZ) – Analysts at HC Wainwright reduced their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for LENZ Therapeutics in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, April 21st. HC Wainwright analyst M. Caufield now anticipates that the company will post earnings of ($1.11) per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of ($0.86). HC Wainwright currently has a “Buy” rating and a $48.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for LENZ Therapeutics’ current full-year earnings is ($3.88) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for LENZ Therapeutics’ Q2 2026 earnings at ($1.06) EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at ($0.90) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.83) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($3.89) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($2.72) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($0.88) EPS, FY2029 earnings at $0.61 EPS and FY2030 earnings at $2.38 EPS.

LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported ($1.16) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.91) by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $1.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.09 million.

Several other research firms also recently commented on LENZ. Weiss Ratings downgraded LENZ Therapeutics from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded LENZ Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. Citigroup decreased their price objective on LENZ Therapeutics from $52.00 to $26.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of LENZ Therapeutics from $35.00 to $29.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

LENZ Therapeutics Stock Down 8.4%

Shares of LENZ stock opened at $9.15 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $10.99 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.69. The company has a market capitalization of $286.85 million, a PE ratio of -3.26 and a beta of 0.66. LENZ Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $8.25 and a 12-month high of $50.40.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its position in LENZ Therapeutics by 51.4% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,405 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new position in LENZ Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Bfsg LLC bought a new position in LENZ Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in LENZ Therapeutics by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 25,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,165,000 after buying an additional 656 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in LENZ Therapeutics by 8.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 11,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 861 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 54.32% of the company’s stock.

LENZ Therapeutics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting LENZ Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright continues to carry a “Buy” rating and a $48.00 price target on LENZ, signaling analyst conviction that there remains significant upside relative to the current share price despite the estimate reductions. HC Wainwright Lowers LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) Price Target to $48.00
• Neutral Sentiment: LENZ was included in a broader healthcare analyst roundup (coverage mention only); this keeps the company on analysts’ radar but did not provide new company‑specific catalysts. Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright materially lowered Q1–Q4 2026 EPS forecasts (Q1 now ($1.11), Q2 ($1.06), Q3 ($0.90), Q4 ($0.83)) and cut FY2026 to ($3.89). These nearer‑term downgrades indicate weaker revenue/earnings visibility for 2026 and are a primary driver of downward pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Longer‑term estimates were also trimmed: FY2027 moved to ($2.72), FY2028 to ($0.88), FY2029 to $0.61 and FY2030 to $2.38 (all revised lower), which delays expected profitability and reduces long‑term upside assumptions embedded in prior models.

About LENZ Therapeutics

LENZ Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapies to improve vision in the United States. Its product candidates include LNZ100 and LNZ101 which are in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of presbyopia. The company is headquartered in Del Mar, California.