Abivax Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:ABVX)

Key Points

• Abivax saw unusually heavy options activity on Wednesday, with traders buying 8,937 call options, about 53% above its average volume.
• The stock fell sharply despite a positive Phase 3 efficacy result, as obefazimod met its main and key secondary endpoints in ulcerative colitis but safety concerns around rare malignancy cases weighed on shares.
• Analysts remain split but still see upside potential, with several firms adjusting ratings and targets while MarketBeat shows a consensus “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $133.15.

Abivax SA Sponsored ADR (NASDAQ:ABVX - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 8,937 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 53% compared to the average volume of 5,836 call options.

Abivax Price Performance

Shares of ABVX traded up $10.30 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $82.80. The stock had a trading volume of 3,361,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,335,427. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $118.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $120.16. Abivax has a twelve month low of $5.69 and a twelve month high of $148.83. The firm has a market cap of $6.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.89 and a beta of 0.69.

Abivax (NASDAQ:ABVX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 22nd. The company reported ($0.71) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.94) by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $1.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.40 million. Analysts forecast that Abivax will post -3.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Abivax News

Here are the key news stories impacting Abivax this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Abivax announced that obefazimod met the main goal and key secondary endpoints in the ABTECT maintenance study for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis, supporting the drug’s efficacy and potential commercial value. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts responded favorably to the clinical data, with JPM raising its price target, Wedbush upgrading the stock, and BTIG reaffirming a Buy rating, signaling that some on Wall Street still see significant upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Abivax said the cancer cases observed in the trial were believed to be unrelated to treatment, but the market is still waiting for more detail on the risk profile and regulatory implications. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the efficacy win, shares were hit hard after rare malignancy cases in the Phase 3 trial raised safety concerns and overshadowed the drug’s positive results. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Several reports noted the stock’s steep decline, arguing that the safety signal has undercut the prior takeover premium and pushed investors to reassess the drug’s risk/reward profile. Article Title

Institutional Trading of Abivax

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Abivax by 155.6% in the first quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 230 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Abivax by 4,612.5% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 377 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 369 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in shares of Abivax by 56.1% in the fourth quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,536 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Abivax in the third quarter valued at about $52,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Abivax by 661.5% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 396 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on ABVX shares. Wall Street Zen raised Abivax from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Abivax from $140.00 to $135.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Oddo Bhf reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Abivax in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Wedbush raised Abivax from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $110.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Abivax from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $160.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $133.15.

About Abivax

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Paris, France, Abivax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases and viral infections. The company’s technology platform targets host RNA biogenesis to modulate key immune pathways, offering a differentiated approach aimed at disease modification and improved safety profiles.

Abivax’s lead clinical asset, obefazimod (ABX464), is being evaluated in ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory disorders.

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