Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA) Stock Rated Hold in New Coverage at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research initiated coverage of Azenta with a Hold rating. MarketBeat also lists a consensus Hold rating and a $47.60 price target, with analyst opinions split between Buy, Hold, and Sell.
• Azenta’s latest quarterly results topped estimates, with EPS of $0.28 versus $0.11 expected and revenue of $167.1 million versus $160.2 million expected.
• Shares rose to $45.65 in Thursday midday trading; analysts at Needham and Jefferies raised their price targets to $57 and $52, respectively, and maintained Buy ratings.

Analysts at Zacks Research began coverage on shares of Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA - Get Free Report) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Zacks reports. The firm set a "hold" rating on the stock.

AZTA has been the topic of a number of other reports. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Azenta from $37.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Azenta from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Azenta from $44.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Azenta from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Azenta currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $47.60.

Azenta Price Performance

Shares of Azenta stock traded up $1.79 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $45.65. The company had a trading volume of 1,114,037 shares, compared to its average volume of 964,725. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $36.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.56. Azenta has a fifty-two week low of $15.93 and a fifty-two week high of $50.06. The firm has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of -12.61 and a beta of 1.47.

Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 10th. The company reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.17. Azenta had a negative net margin of 26.86% and a positive return on equity of 1.41%. The business had revenue of $167.09 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $160.16 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Azenta will post 0.69 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AZTA. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Azenta by 82.3% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 771 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. Heritage Family Offices LLP purchased a new stake in Azenta in the third quarter worth $31,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Azenta in the first quarter worth $38,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new position in shares of Azenta during the 2nd quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP bought a new position in Azenta during the second quarter worth about $48,000. 99.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Azenta

Investors following AZTA have been watching these stories:

• Positive Sentiment: Better-than-expected quarterly results helped fuel buying: Azenta reported earnings of $0.28 per share versus analysts’ $0.11 estimate, and revenue of $167.1 million, above the $160.2 million consensus. Shares subsequently reached a 52-week high. Article: Azenta Reaches New 52-Week High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlighted commercial execution and new gene-synthesis capabilities as factors supporting Azenta’s outlook. KeyCorp’s estimates call for $0.69 EPS in FY2027 and $0.84 in FY2028; these are analyst forecasts, not company guidance. Article: Azenta Q3 Deep Dive
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm said it is investigating potential securities claims tied to allegations that Azenta may have issued materially misleading business information. The investigation is an allegation, not a finding of wrongdoing, but may weigh on sentiment. Article: Rosen Law Firm Investor Notice

About Azenta

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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