Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) Given Hold Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies reiterated a “hold” rating on Pacira BioSciences with a $36 price target, implying roughly 1% downside from the reported trading price. Analysts’ consensus rating remains “Hold,” with an average target of $31.
• Pacira shares surged to $36.38, near the 52-week high, after Viatris agreed to acquire the company for $36.50 per share in cash, or approximately $1.65 billion. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary conditions.
• Pacira’s latest quarter exceeded expectations, with $0.73 in earnings per share and $192.4 million in revenue; revenue increased 6.2% year over year. However, law-firm investigations into the acquisition’s fairness and bearish analyst/options signals add deal-related uncertainty.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold" rating restated by Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $36.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's price objective suggests a potential downside of 1.06% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered Pacira BioSciences from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Pacira BioSciences from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $31.00.

Pacira BioSciences Stock Performance

Shares of PCRX stock traded up $11.19 during trading on Thursday, reaching $36.38. 27,177,996 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 800,578. The company has a quick ratio of 3.94, a current ratio of 5.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $25.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.41. Pacira BioSciences has a twelve month low of $18.80 and a twelve month high of $36.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a PE ratio of 103.96 and a beta of 0.25.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.08. Pacira BioSciences had a return on equity of 9.68% and a net margin of 1.96%.The company had revenue of $192.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $191.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.74 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pacira BioSciences will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Jonathan Slonin sold 3,040 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $70,619.20. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 216,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,026,600.32. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 6.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Pacira BioSciences

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in Pacira BioSciences by 8.6% during the 2nd quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 43,764 shares of the company's stock worth $1,110,000 after buying an additional 3,482 shares during the period. Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Pacira BioSciences in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $213,000. Amundi raised its stake in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 16.2% during the second quarter. Amundi now owns 15,894 shares of the company's stock valued at $403,000 after acquiring an additional 2,210 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new position in shares of Pacira BioSciences during the second quarter valued at $851,000. Finally, Three Seasons Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 43.6% during the second quarter. Three Seasons Wealth LLC now owns 62,942 shares of the company's stock worth $1,597,000 after purchasing an additional 19,107 shares during the period. 99.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pacira BioSciences News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacira BioSciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viatris agreed to acquire Pacira for $36.50 per share in cash, valuing the equity at approximately $1.65 billion. The transaction offers shareholders a defined cash exit and places the stock close to the proposed purchase price. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary conditions. Viatris Agrees to Acquire Pacira BioSciences
• Positive Sentiment: The acquisition gives Viatris control of Pacira’s marketed non-opioid pain medicines, Exparel and Zilretta. Viatris expects to use its international infrastructure and commercial capabilities to expand the products, while citing potential synergies with its fast-acting meloxicam opportunity. Viatris to Buy Pacira BioSciences for $1.65 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Needham reaffirmed its “hold” rating. Earlier, Truist raised its target to $31 and maintained a “buy” rating, but that target is below the proposed takeover price.
• Negative Sentiment: Ademi LLP and Halper Sadeh LLP announced investigations into whether the $36.50 offer fairly values Pacira, whether directors adequately protected shareholders, and whether insiders received favorable benefits. These announcements could increase deal-related uncertainty, although shareholder law-firm investigations are common after public takeovers. PCRX Shareholder Alert: Ademi LLP Investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity indicated bearish positioning in PCRX, while Zacks recently downgraded the stock to “strong sell.” These signals are secondary to the acquisition announcement but highlight potential concerns about valuation or deal risk.

Pacira BioSciences Company Profile

Pacira BioSciences, Inc is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid pain-management products. The company's portfolio is designed to help manage acute and chronic pain while reducing reliance on traditional opioid therapies.

Its principal product is EXPAREL, an extended-release formulation of bupivacaine used to provide postsurgical pain relief. Pacira also markets ZILRETTA, an extended-release corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, and the iovera° system, a handheld cryoanalgesia device intended to temporarily block peripheral nerves and provide targeted pain relief.

Originally known as Pacira Pharmaceuticals, the company adopted the name Pacira BioSciences in 2018 to reflect its broader focus on innovative therapies and technologies.

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