The biotech industry is one of the most fast-paced and innovative industries today. Biotech companies are working to discover, develop, and market useful biological solutions to everyday problems. From therapeutics to diagnostics and agriculture, biotechnology is the application of biology in innovative ways to solve problems or create new products.
Biotechnology studies living things and how we can use biology to make new products, processes, or services. The field of biotechnology has given rise to many different companies that are using unique techniques and approaches to develop new products and services from living organisms.
Biotech stocks have been known for their volatility due to unforeseen events. Biotech stocks are also risky because very few pure-play biotech companies are listed on major stock exchanges. However, if you understand the risks and know how to research these types of stocks, there is potential for excellent returns in the long term.
This article details some of the top biotechnology stocks and their outlooks for the future. Biotech stocks are a great place for investors interested in this space to look for long-term growth opportunities.
Esperion Therapeutics
According to Bloomberg, the eleven research firms now covering Esperion Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESPR) have provided the company with a recommendation of “Hold” as a consensus rating for the stock. This rating represents the research firms’ overall opinion of the company. One equity research analyst has said that the stock should be kept, while four industry experts have suggested that the stock should be purchased.
Four equity research analysts have suggested that the stock should be sold. As decided by analysts who recently issued assessments for the company, the price target for the next 12 months comes in at $19.90 on average. This price goal was determined by analysts who have evaluated the stock in the recent past. A significant number of research organizations have had conversations about ESPR. In a research report published on Friday, July 15, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective for Esperion Therapeutics from $5.00 to $7.00 and rated the company as “underweight.”
In addition, the study stated that Morgan Stanley has an “underweight” recommendation for the firm. Cowen & company announced on Tuesday, August 9, that they have decreased their price objective for Esperion Therapeutics to $13.00. This news was included in a report that was published that day. In a research note published on Wednesday, August 3, Credit Suisse Group announced they would lower their price objective on Esperion Therapeutics from $7.00 to $6.00. Additionally, they would downgrade the business from “neutral” to “underperform.”
In a research note published on Wednesday, May 4, Esperion Therapeutics was moved from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a price objective of $6.00 on the stock. ESPR was first traded at $7.66 on Monday when the market opened. The cost of Esperion Therapeutics has fluctuated widely over the previous twelve months, going from as low as $3.28 to as high as $13.99. Moving averages for the previous fifty days for the company are $6.55, while moving averages for the past two hundred days are $5.65.
The current value of the company on the market is $509.79 million. The company has a price-to-earnings ratio of 1.20, and the company has a beta of 0.28. Esperion Therapeutics (NASDAQ: ESPR) announced the results of its most recent quarterly financial report on August 2, a Tuesday.
The actual quarterly revenues for the company came in at $18.80 million, which was much higher than the average estimate among industry professionals, which was $18.62 million. The corporation generated $1.67 per share during the same period in the prior year’s operations. The company’s revenue dropped by 53.8%, in contrast to the level it reached the year before. According to the forecasts of sell-side analysts, Esperion Therapeutics will end the year 2018 with a loss of -3.81 cents a share. Sheldon L. Koenig, the CEO of Esperion Therapeutics, purchased 8,606 shares of the firm’s stock on August 5, which brings us to another piece of relevant information about the company.
The entire cost of purchasing the shares was $49.128.80, an average price of $5.80 per share. The price per share was calculated using the total cost of purchasing the shares. Following the successful transaction completion, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer has direct ownership of 198,771 shares of the company’s stock, which currently has a value of $1,152,871.80.
Sheldon L. Koenig, the CEO of Esperion Therapeutics, purchased 8,606 shares of the firm’s stock on August 5, which brings us to another piece of relevant information about the company. The entire cost of purchasing the shares was $49.128.80, an average price of $5.80 per share. The price per share was calculated using the total cost of purchasing the shares. Following the successful transaction completion, the firm’s Chief Executive Officer now has direct ownership of 198,771 shares of the company’s stock, which at the moment have a value of $1,152,871.80.
In addition, on July 19, 2018, Joanne M. Foody, an insider at Esperion Therapeutics, sold 3,901 shares of the company’s stock. The price per share was $6.55 on average, and there were a total of 25,551.55 shares transacted, which resulted in a sales volume of $25,551.55. As a result of the transaction, the corporate insider now owns 109,077 shares, which have a value of $714,454.35 per share.
Disclosures that are related to the sale might be found in this section of the website. Over the most recent ninety days, business insiders sold 8,908 company stocks at $50,878. A total of 2,40% of the company’s outstanding shares of stock are held by company insiders. Several hedge funds and institutional investors have either increased the amount of money they have invested in ESPR or decreased the amount they have invested in ESPR throughout the past few months.
During the last three months of 2018, the investment portfolio managed by SG Americas Securities LLC saw an increase of 8.8% in the percentage of shares it held in Esperion Therapeutics. Following the acquisition of an additional 8,934 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock during the period under review, SG Americas Securities LLC now holds 110,514 shares of the company’s stock. The value of these shares on the market now is $533,000.
The final three months of 2018 saw Northern Trust Corporation increase its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 14.4% by purchasing additional shares. After making an additional purchase of 42,315 shares during the quarter, Northern Trust Corp now holds 337,157 shares of the biopharmaceutical business, collectively valued at a total of $1,686,000. This brings the company’s total number of shares to 337,157. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Esperion Therapeutics for fifty thousand dollars over the final three months of 2018.
It grew its holdings in Esperion Therapeutics by 3,403.4 percent during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now has 31,531 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, collectively worth $157,000. This comes from the company’s purchase of an additional 30,631 shares. This brings the total number of shares the company owns to 31,531, bringing the total to the correct value. During the last three months, Rafferty Asset Management LLC made a new investment in Esperion Therapeutics for 172,000 dollars.
This transaction took place at the end of the year. Esperion Therapeutics, Inc treats patients from all over the world. This pharmaceutical company specializes in the research, development, and marketing of medicines for the treatment of patients who have elevated levels of lipoproteins, which can include cholesterol (LDL).
G1 Therapeutics
During August, the number of short positions in G1 Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GTHX) was significantly lower than in previous months. As of July 31, there were 4,740,000 shares available for a short sale, but as of August 15, there were only 3,760,000 shares available for a short sale. This is a drop of 20.7% from the number of shares available for a short sale as of July 31. It is possible to derive the current short-interest ratio of 3.1 days based on the average daily trading volume of 1,230,000 shares.
This ratio can be found in the table below. Currently, 10.8% of the company’s shares are traded on the short market in various transactions. When trading started on Monday, a share of GTHX stock was going for a price of $14.28 per share. The company has experienced a moving average of $7.66 over the previous 200 days, and the moving average for the last fifty days is $8.81. A debt-to-equity ratio comes in at 1.15, a quick ratio that comes in at 4.38, a current ratio that comes in at 4.75, and a quick ratio that comes in at 4.38.
Over the previous 52 weeks, the price of G1 Therapeutics has fluctuated anywhere from $3.84 to $16.65. The price as of right now is $3.84. The company has a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.56, a beta of 2.20, and a market value currently at $610.43 million. Additional information was released on Tuesday, August 16, including a statement that director Mark A. Velleca had sold 80,000 shares of the company’s stock.
The director now directly owns 116,000 shares of company stock, which have an approximate value of $1,466,240 as a direct consequence of the transaction. A report about the transaction was sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission. This report can be found on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website. The current percentage of the company’s stock owned by company insiders is 8.09%. Recent months have seen several prominent investors altering how they hold their shares in the company in question.
Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought an additional position in G1 Therapeutics during the fourth quarter. This brought the company’s total investment to around $198,000. During the final three months of 2018, Northern Trust Corporation acquired an additional 0.3 percent of G1 Therapeutics’ total outstanding shares. After purchasing an additional 1,056 shares during the most recent fiscal quarter, Northern Trust Corp owns 406,967 shares, which is currently valued at $4,155,000. This brings the total number of shares owned by Northern Trust Corp to 406,967. The value of Raymond James & Associates’ stake in G1 Therapeutics increased by 71.7% during the last three months of 2018.
Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in the company’s shares by 96,576 units over the quarter. This brought the total value of its holdings to 231,315 units, equivalent to $2,362,000. The percentage of G1 Therapeutics stock that Bank of America Corp DE owned grew by 36.3% during the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp. DE now directly owns a total of 372,700 shares, which has a value of $3,804,000 after purchasing an additional 99,335 shares in the firm during the most recent quarter. This brings the total number of shares directly owned by the company to 372,700.
Not to be outdone, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased the proportion of G1 Therapeutics stock it owns in its portfolio by 21.7% during the final quarter of 2018. During the quarter, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. bought a total of 8,949 more shares of the company’s stock, bringing its total number of shares to 50,242. The total holdings of the company currently have a market value of $513,000 as of right now. Institutional investors and hedge funds are the current owners of 61.89% of the company’s shares.
Recent commentary on the GTHX shares comes from various research analysts from different companies. In a research note dated Thursday, August 4, Needham & Company LLC recommended that investors “buy” G1 Therapeutics shares in a research note. Despite maintaining their “buy” rating on the stock, Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target for the company’s stock from $42.00 to $32.00 while keeping their “buy” rating on the stock. In a research report on Friday, June 3, HC Wainwright reaffirmed their “buy” rating on shares of G1 Therapeutics and positioned them with a price objective of $67.00.
The analysis was published on the company’s website. Seven of the eight analysts participating in equity research rated the company as a buy, while one assigned it a sell rating. The price objective has been set at $36.67. Specifics of the G1 Therapeutics organization G1 Medicines, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company now in the clinical stage.
It focuses on the research, development, and marketing of small-molecule therapies for people who have cancer. The company is currently in the testing phase of its operations.
Geron
There was a significant rise in the number of short positions on shares of Geron Company during August (NASDAQ: GERN). Compared to the 16,150,000 shares that were borrowed as of July 31st, the number of shares that were borrowed as of August 15th increased to 18,920,000, representing a 17.2% rise. When the average daily trading volume of 3,000,000 shares is considered, the current short-interest ratio is 5.9 days. There have been other research analysts who have provided their perspectives on the stock. B. Riley maintained its “buy” rating on shares of Geron and set a price objective of $4.00 on the stock in a research report published on Thursday, July 28th.
Needham & Firm LLC upped their price target on Geron from $2.00 to $3.00 and gave the company a “buy” recommendation in a research report published on Friday, August 12th. In a research note published on July 11th, HC Wainwright reaffirmed their “buy” rating on shares of Geron and set their price target for the company at $7.00. The stock has received a recommendation to sell from one of the research analysts, while the remaining four experts have issued a recommendation to buy. Bloomberg says that the company is now classified as a “Moderate Buy” on average and that most analysts agree that a price goal of $4.50 is reasonable.
A wide range of institutional investors, including hedge funds, have been active buyers and sellers of GERN stock in recent trading activity. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. boosted the percentage of its interests in Geron by 44.6% during the second quarter of the current fiscal year. Elmwood Wealth Management Inc. is the owner of 19,450 shares of stock in the biopharmaceutical company, and the total value of those shares is $30,000. This comes from purchasing an additional 6,000 shares throughout the previous quarter. During the second quarter, Price T. Rowe Associates Inc. MD added 4.0 percent more Geron shares to its portfolio. After making an extra purchase of 6,941 shares during the period in question, Price T. Rowe Associates, Inc. MD now has 181,281 shares in the biopharmaceutical firm.
These shares are currently valued at $281,000 as of the current market price. (also known as “procurement”) Commonwealth Equity Services LLC increased its stake in Geron by 7.8 percent during the first three months of 2018. After purchasing an additional 8,535 shares during the quarter, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now has 117,828 shares of the biopharmaceutical business. The company’s shares are currently valued at $160,000 due to the aggregate value of all of the company’s shares. During the last three months of 2018, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased the number of its holdings put into Geron by 26.1%. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now has a total of 55,622 shares of the business, which is worth $68,000. This is because, during the quarter, the company bought an additional 11,507 shares of the biopharmaceutical company.
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation did not want to be outdone, so during the first three months of this year, it raised the percentage of Geron owned by one percent. After purchasing an additional 11,874 shares during the most recent quarter, the Bank of New York Mellon Corp now has 1,161,223 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock, which is equivalent to a value of $1,580,000. To the tune of 47.75% of the company’s shares, hedge funds and other types of institutional investors are the owners. Geron’s common shares were first traded for $2.39 per share on Monday. During the previous calendar year, the price of a Geron ranged between $0.99 and $2.67.
The corporation’s stock currently carries a beta value of 0.94, a market value of $902.99 trillion, and an earnings-to-price ratio of -7.03. The debt-to-equity ratio is 0.32, the current ratio is 4.85, and the quick ratio is also 4.85. The debt-to-equity ratio is presented as a numerical value. According to the simple moving average calculated over the past 200 days, the stock price is currently $1.52, while the simple moving average calculated over the past 50 days puts it at $1.92. Geron’s most recent earnings report, trading under the NASDAQ: GERN, was made public on August 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter of $0.07, which was $0.02 higher than the average forecast of $0.09 that analysts provided for the period’s results.
Geron’s return on equity and net margin were in the red for Geron, with the latter being in the red by 90.38 percent and the former by 8.693.61 percent, respectively. The company saw a loss of $0.09 per share compared to its performance during the same period in the prior year. Equity research experts forecast that Geron will report a loss of -0.36 cents per share in earnings for the current financial year. Geron Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the production and distribution of medications for treating myeloid and hematological cancers. The company is now in the late stages of clinical research and has been operating for several years.
