Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) Stock Price Target Raised at Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada raised Pacira BioSciences’ price target from $25.00 to $36.50 while maintaining a “sector perform” rating. The target implies only 0.48% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with two Buy, seven Hold, and two Sell ratings and a consensus rating of “Hold.” The average consensus price target is $32.72.
• Pacira shares traded near $36.33, close to their 52-week high, after news that Viatris agreed to acquire the company for $36.50 per share in cash. The deal values Pacira at approximately $1.65 billion and is expected to close by the end of 2026, though shareholder law firms are investigating its fairness.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report) had its target price upped by research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $25.00 to $36.50 in a report issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "sector perform" rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's target price points to a potential upside of 0.48% from the company's previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on PCRX. HC Wainwright restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $36.50 target price (down from $38.00) on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Pacira BioSciences from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "hold" rating and issued a $36.00 target price on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a report on Thursday. Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Pacira BioSciences from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Pacira BioSciences from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $32.72.

Pacira BioSciences Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of PCRX traded down $0.07 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $36.33. The company had a trading volume of 1,466,777 shares, compared to its average volume of 815,018. The stock has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.79 and a beta of 0.25. The company has a current ratio of 5.04, a quick ratio of 3.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.51. Pacira BioSciences has a fifty-two week low of $18.80 and a fifty-two week high of $36.46.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $192.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $191.06 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.74 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pacira BioSciences will post 1.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jonathan Slonin sold 3,040 shares of Pacira BioSciences stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $70,619.20. Following the transaction, the insider owned 216,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,026,600.32. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 6.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Pacira BioSciences

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PCRX. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new position in Pacira BioSciences in the second quarter valued at about $2,399,000. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC bought a new position in shares of Pacira BioSciences in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,369,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Pacira BioSciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $7,532,000. Gagnon Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. Gagnon Advisors LLC now owns 260,908 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,752,000 after purchasing an additional 47,506 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 31.0% in the 2nd quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 203,520 shares of the company's stock worth $5,163,000 after buying an additional 48,124 shares during the last quarter. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Pacira BioSciences News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Viatris acquisition provides a clear cash exit. Viatris will acquire Pacira for $36.50 per share in cash, valuing the equity at approximately $1.65 billion. The transaction gives shareholders near-term deal certainty and values Pacira’s EXPAREL and ZILRETTA non-opioid pain medicines as strategic additions to Viatris’ portfolio. Closing is expected by the end of 2026. Viatris Agrees to Acquire Pacira BioSciences
• Positive Sentiment: Deal news triggered substantial buying. Reports indicated PCRX jumped about 44% and reached a 52-week high as investors repriced the shares toward Viatris’ $36.50 offer. Pacira BioSciences jumps on Viatris acquisition deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst targets now largely reflect the transaction price. JPMorgan upgraded Pacira from underweight to neutral with a $36.50 target, while HC Wainwright reaffirmed neutral but reduced its target from $38 to $36.50. Jefferies maintained hold with a $36 target, and Needham cut its rating from buy to hold. These actions suggest limited fundamental upside beyond the proposed cash consideration.
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist raised its target to $31 and retained a buy rating, but the target is now below the current deal-related valuation. Pacira receives price target increase from Truist Financial
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder law firms are investigating the transaction. Several firms are questioning whether the $36.50 offer fairly values Pacira, whether the board conducted an adequate sale process, and whether insiders received improper benefits. Such reviews could create legal or closing uncertainty, although they do not currently change the announced offer.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish options activity was also reported in PCRX, signaling some traders are positioning for limited downside or deal-related uncertainty. Stocks drawing bearish options activity

About Pacira BioSciences

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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