Valneva (NASDAQ:VALN) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Valneva SE Sponsored ADR (NASDAQ:VALN) shares gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $11.19, but opened at $10.60. Valneva shares last traded at $10.52, with a volume of 538 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Valneva from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valneva currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $15.00.

Valneva Stock Down 1.6%

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $10.29 and its 200 day moving average price is $9.68. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.52. The stock has a market cap of $888.66 million, a P/E ratio of -6.53 and a beta of 1.80.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valneva

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VALN. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Valneva in the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Marex Group plc purchased a new position in shares of Valneva during the 2nd quarter valued at about $64,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Valneva during the 4th quarter valued at about $94,000. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC lifted its position in Valneva by 125.0% in the 3rd quarter. VSM Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 9,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,000 after buying an additional 5,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in Valneva in the third quarter worth approximately $124,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 11.39% of the company’s stock.

About Valneva

Valneva SE is a specialty vaccine company focused on the development and commercialization of prophylactic vaccines for infectious diseases. Headquartered in Saint-Herblain, France, the company applies inactivated whole-cell and recombinant technology platforms to address public health needs. Valneva’s research and development efforts span a range of viral and bacterial pathogens, with an emphasis on travel-related and emerging infectious diseases.

Among its marketed products, Valneva offers IXIARO®/JESPECT® for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis and DUKORAL® for the prevention of cholera and diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.