Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Stephens raised their price objective on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.80 to $2.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $2.20.

Pacific Biosciences of California Stock Performance

PACB opened at $1.61 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 5.40, a current ratio of 6.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.88. The firm has a market cap of $486.07 million, a PE ratio of -0.87 and a beta of 2.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.01 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.78. Pacific Biosciences of California has a fifty-two week low of $0.85 and a fifty-two week high of $2.73.

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.19) by $0.07. Pacific Biosciences of California had a negative return on equity of 251.75% and a negative net margin of 341.47%.The business had revenue of $44.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $44.60 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that Pacific Biosciences of California will post -0.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Christian O. Henry sold 140,874 shares of Pacific Biosciences of California stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.63, for a total transaction of $229,624.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 2,673,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,357,805. This trade represents a 5.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Oene Mark Van sold 55,107 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.63, for a total value of $89,824.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,742,638 shares in the company, valued at $2,840,499.94. This trade represents a 3.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 707,731 shares of company stock worth $1,128,762. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pacific Biosciences of California

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Pacific Biosciences of California by 29.5% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,433,011 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $2,680,000 after acquiring an additional 326,238 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California by 47.9% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 20,663 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 6,695 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California by 5,001.3% during the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 628,222 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $1,175,000 after purchasing an additional 615,907 shares in the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC bought a new stake in Pacific Biosciences of California in the fourth quarter worth $70,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in Pacific Biosciences of California in the fourth quarter worth $40,000.

Pacific Biosciences of California News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacific Biosciences of California this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Genomics sector tailwind — Zacks published a roundup arguing genomics and synthetic-biology stocks deserve portfolio consideration in 2026, supporting longer‑term demand for sequencing platforms like PacBio’s systems. Genomics Stocks That Deserve a Place in Your Portfolio in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional accumulation — Large funds (ARK, Millennium, Renaissance, Casdin) materially increased or initiated PACB positions in recent quarters, which can provide liquidity support and signal conviction from some professional investors. MarketBeat PACB institutional holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor event — PacBio will present at the TD Cowen Health Care Conference on March 2; management commentary there could provide updated commercialization or adoption metrics but nothing material has been released yet. PacBio at TD Cowen Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix — Recent notes show modest price‑target upgrades to ~$2.00 from some shops while consensus remains “Hold” with an average PT ~ $2.20; mixed coverage limits a catalytic analyst push. PACB analyst coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Director/insider Christian O. Henry sold ~472,667 shares across Feb. 17–18 (~$753k proceeds). High‑profile insider sales at this scale often pressure the stock. Christian O. Henry Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider exits — Oene Mark Van sold ~184,897 shares (Feb. 17–18) and Michele Farmer sold ~50,167 shares (Feb. 17–18); the combined insider reductions may amplify negative sentiment short‑term. Oene Mark Van Form 4 Michele Farmer Form 4

About Pacific Biosciences of California

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc develops, manufactures and sells high-performance DNA sequencing systems for genetic and genomic analysis. The company’s proprietary single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology is designed to enable long-read sequencing, offering high accuracy for applications such as de novo genome assembly, transcriptome characterization and structural variation analysis. Pacific Biosciences markets a suite of instruments, including the Sequel and Sequel IIe systems, alongside reagents, consumables and data analysis software to support a range of life science research.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Pacific Biosciences has expanded its global reach by serving academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government research centers across North America, Europe and Asia.