CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Upgraded to “Sell” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) to a sell rating in a report published on Friday.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on CRSP. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $53.00 to $48.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $89.00 to $82.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $84.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. TD Cowen raised shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $35.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $65.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $73.11.

CRISPR Therapeutics Price Performance

CRSP opened at $41.22 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.54 billion, a PE ratio of -9.43 and a beta of 1.76. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $43.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.37. CRISPR Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $36.52 and a 12-month high of $74.59.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 11th. The company reported ($0.44) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.15) by $0.71. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 981.54% and a negative return on equity of 18.46%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that CRISPR Therapeutics will post -5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel James R. Kasinger sold 2,850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.42, for a total transaction of $120,897.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 77,530 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,288,822.60. This trade represents a 3.55 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, COO Julianne Bruno sold 1,198 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.42, for a total transaction of $50,819.16. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 8,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $350,516.46. This trade represents a 12.66 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 32,381 shares of company stock worth $1,608,243. Corporate insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRSP. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at about $39,000. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP lifted its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics during the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 69.20% of the company’s stock.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

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.