Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ:PLSE) Upgraded by Freedom Capmkts to Strong-Buy Rating

Key Points

• Freedom Capmkts upgraded Pulse Biosciences to “strong buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “moderate buy” with an average price target of $45.25. Price targets from other firms range from $43 to $58, though one analyst maintains a sell rating.
• PLSE opened at $54.43, near its 12-month high of $58.90, with its 50-day and 200-day moving averages at $39.87 and $28.84, respectively. The stock has a market capitalization of approximately $3.77 billion.
• The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.36 per share, worse than the expected $0.29 loss, and revenue of $0.43 million below estimates of $0.53 million. Insiders own 74% of the company, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.95%.

Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ:PLSE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at Freedom Capmkts to a "strong-buy" rating in a report released on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

Several other analysts also recently commented on PLSE. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Pulse Biosciences in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on Pulse Biosciences from $32.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Mizuho set a $45.00 price target on Pulse Biosciences in a report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Pulse Biosciences from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC initiated coverage on Pulse Biosciences in a report on Monday, August 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $58.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $45.25.

Pulse Biosciences Stock Performance

PLSE opened at $54.43 on Wednesday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $39.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.84. The firm has a market cap of $3.77 billion, a PE ratio of -46.13 and a beta of 1.63. Pulse Biosciences has a twelve month low of $12.56 and a twelve month high of $58.90.

Pulse Biosciences (NASDAQ:PLSE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.36) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.29) by ($0.07). Pulse Biosciences had a negative net margin of 6,755.78% and a negative return on equity of 94.42%. The firm had revenue of $0.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.53 million. Equities analysts forecast that Pulse Biosciences will post -1.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Pulse Biosciences

In related news, COO Liane Teplitsky acquired 1,001 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $49.95 per share, for a total transaction of $49,999.95. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief operating officer directly owned 4,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $204,545.25. The trade was a 32.35% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have acquired 4,095 shares of company stock worth $199,931 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 74.00% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pulse Biosciences

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Pulse Biosciences in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in shares of Pulse Biosciences by 63.6% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,749 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 680 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Pulse Biosciences by 275.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,940 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 2,156 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Pulse Biosciences by 44.0% during the third quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 4,487 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 1,372 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new position in shares of Pulse Biosciences during the second quarter worth about $241,000. 76.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pulse Biosciences Company Profile

Pulse Biosciences, Inc is a clinical-stage bioelectric medicine company that develops and commercializes medical devices based on its proprietary Tissue NanoPoration (TNP) platform. The company’s core technology, NanoPulse Stimulation (NPS), delivers ultrashort, high-voltage electric pulses to targeted tissue, triggering cellular responses without the thermal damage associated with traditional energy-based devices. Pulse Biosciences focuses on applications in dermatology and aesthetic medicine, where controlled ablation of unwanted lesions is critical.

The company’s flagship product, the CellFX® System, is designed to treat a range of benign and malignant skin lesions, including seborrheic keratosis, non-melanoma skin cancers, and various epidermal and dermal lesions.

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