CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eighteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, six have issued a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $64.2353.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CRSP. Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on CRISPR Therapeutics from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $90.00 to $89.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $33.00 price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $86.00 to $80.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 30th.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Down 2.8%

Shares of CRSP stock opened at $55.20 on Thursday. CRISPR Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $30.04 and a 12 month high of $78.48. The company has a market cap of $5.30 billion, a PE ratio of -8.47 and a beta of 1.72. The business’s 50 day moving average is $53.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.23.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported ($1.37) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.15) by ($0.22). The firm had revenue of $0.86 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.72 million. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 16,569.77% and a negative return on equity of 26.31%. The company’s revenue was down 97.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($1.01) EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that CRISPR Therapeutics will post -5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel James R. Kasinger sold 2,112 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.58, for a total value of $111,048.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 85,115 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,475,346.70. The trade was a 2.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 60,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.23, for a total transaction of $3,613,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 134,201 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,082,926.23. This represents a 30.90% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 99,079 shares of company stock worth $5,643,674. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of CRISPR Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Ramirez Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Rothschild Investment LLC grew its stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 836.7% during the 4th quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 562 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 196.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 576 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 382 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. 69.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics AG is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of gene-editing therapies based on the CRISPR/Cas9 platform. The company applies its proprietary technology to modify genes in human cells, aiming to create durable treatments for a range of serious diseases. Its research and development efforts focus on both ex vivo and in vivo applications, enabling targeted correction or disruption of disease-causing genes.

Among its lead programs is CTX001, an ex vivo edited cell therapy designed to treat sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia in collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals.