Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA) Given New $52.00 Price Target at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies raised Azenta’s price target to $52 from $44 and maintained a Buy rating, implying 6.45% upside from the stock’s price at the time of the report.
• Azenta shares rose 20.7% on Wednesday to $48.85, nearing their one-year high of $50.06.
• Quarterly results beat expectations: earnings were $0.28 per share versus $0.11 forecast, while revenue of $167.1 million exceeded the $160.2 million estimate. Analysts overall held an average Hold rating and a $43.60 target.

Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group from $44.00 to $52.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.45% from the stock's current price.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings raised Azenta from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Azenta from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, October 18th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $37.00 price objective on shares of Azenta in a report on Monday, September 14th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $43.60.

Azenta Stock Up 20.7%

AZTA traded up $8.37 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $48.85. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,469,773 shares, compared to its average volume of 940,984. The company has a market cap of $2.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.71 and a beta of 1.47. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $35.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $28.47. Azenta has a 1 year low of $15.93 and a 1 year high of $50.06.

Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 10th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.17. Azenta had a positive return on equity of 1.18% and a negative net margin of 20.63%. The business had revenue of $167.09 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $160.16 million.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZTA. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Azenta in the second quarter valued at $192,152,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of Azenta by 16.3% during the 1st quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,613,914 shares of the company's stock worth $34,183,000 after purchasing an additional 225,867 shares during the last quarter. Front Street Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Azenta during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,212,000. American Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Azenta by 26.9% during the 1st quarter. American Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,296,024 shares of the company's stock worth $27,385,000 after purchasing an additional 274,588 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Azenta by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 992,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,633,000 after buying an additional 4,187 shares during the period. 99.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Top Azenta Stories

Here are a few of the latest stories about AZTA:

• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 revenue guidance of $648 million to $660 million is above the $632.4 million analyst consensus. The company also expects organic revenue growth of 3% to 5%, up from 2% in fiscal 2026, and adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of about 200 to 250 basis points. Azenta fiscal 2027 guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Share repurchases and a sizable cash position add to the potential turnaround case: Azenta repurchased 4.4 million shares for $118.2 million in fiscal 2026 and ended the year with $506 million in cash and marketable securities, with no debt reported in the cited balance-sheet update. Healthcare stocks and Azenta buybacks
• Negative Sentiment: A law firm says it is investigating potential securities claims alleging Azenta may have issued materially misleading business information. The investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing, but could add uncertainty for investors. Securities claims investigation

Azenta Company Profile

Azenta, Inc. provides products and services for life sciences research and the management of biological samples. Its offerings include automated sample storage systems, laboratory automation equipment, consumables, and software used to track and manage samples. The company also provides genomic services through GENEWIZ, including sequencing and other genetic analysis services for researchers and organizations in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries. Azenta was formed in 2021 when Brooks Automation separated its life sciences business and adopted the Azenta name.

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