Avantor (NYSE:AVTR) Stock Price Target Raised at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised Avantor’s price target from $14 to $15 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating, implying about 2.94% downside from the stock’s $15.46 price.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Avantor has a consensus “Hold” rating and a $13.24 average target, based on 15 Holds, two Buys, and one Sell.
• Avantor exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.21 EPS versus $0.19 expected and $1.69 billion in revenue versus $1.61 billion estimated. Institutional investors own approximately 95.08% of the company’s shares.

Avantor (NYSE:AVTR - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $14.00 to $15.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's target price indicates a potential downside of 2.94% from the company's current price.

AVTR has been the subject of a number of other research reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on Avantor in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. TD Cowen restated a "hold" rating and set a $17.00 price objective (up from $15.00) on shares of Avantor in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Avantor from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday. Evercore set a $10.50 price objective on shares of Avantor in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $13.00 target price on shares of Avantor in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Avantor currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $13.24.

Avantor Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AVTR traded down $0.04 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $15.46. 670,633 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 10,052,489. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.18. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $14.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.19. The firm has a market cap of $10.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.41, a PEG ratio of 11.83 and a beta of 0.94. Avantor has a twelve month low of $7.26 and a twelve month high of $16.38.

Avantor (NYSE:AVTR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.02. Avantor had a positive return on equity of 9.92% and a negative net margin of 8.81%. The business had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.61 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.24 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Avantor has set its FY 2026 guidance at 0.800-0.830 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Avantor will post 0.81 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avantor

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AVTR. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Avantor by 1,599.7% during the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 5,235 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 4,927 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in Avantor by 72.3% during the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,803 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 1,176 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its stake in Avantor by 901.4% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 5,858 shares of the company's stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 5,273 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Avantor by 21.4% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 8,452 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after buying an additional 1,491 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Avantor in the second quarter worth about $74,000. 95.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Avantor Company Profile

Avantor, Inc is a global provider of products, services and solutions used in the life sciences and advanced technology industries. The company supplies materials and equipment that support research, drug discovery and development, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, clinical and diagnostic activities, and other laboratory applications.

Its offerings include laboratory chemicals and reagents, consumables, single-use manufacturing technologies, bioprocessing products, equipment, and related services.

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