Zentalis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ZNTL) Stock Lifted to Strong-Buy by Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies upgraded Zentalis Pharmaceuticals from “hold” to “strong buy,” though analyst sentiment remains mixed; MarketBeat’s overall consensus is “moderate buy” with a $7.50 average price target.
• ZNTL shares opened at $2.32, with a market capitalization of about $166 million, after trading between $1.21 and $6.95 over the past year. The company recently reported a quarterly loss of $0.59 per share, missing estimates by $0.10.
• Major shareholder Group Walters increased its stake by purchasing 4.335 million shares for approximately $15.2 million, while several institutional investors—including BlackRock and 5AM Venture Management—also established new positions.

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ZNTL - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Wednesday, September 30th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $5.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Zentalis Pharmaceuticals from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Rodman & Renshaw assumed coverage on Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $11.00 price target on the stock. Finally, William Blair initiated coverage on Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. They issued an "outperform" rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Zentalis Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $7.50.

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of ZNTL stock opened at $2.32 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $166.27 million, a P/E ratio of -1.19 and a beta of 1.93. Zentalis Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $1.21 and a 1-year high of $6.95. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $3.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.86.

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ZNTL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.59) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.49) by ($0.10). Analysts expect that Zentalis Pharmaceuticals will post -2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

In related news, major shareholder Group Walters bought 4,335,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $3.50 per share, with a total value of $15,172,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 17,844,973 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,457,405.50. This represents a 32.09% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 3.80% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zentalis Pharmaceuticals

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. 5AM Venture Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter valued at $19,147,378. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $18,205,000. Ishara Investments LP bought a new stake in Zentalis Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,782,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter valued at $5,406,000. Finally, Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in shares of Zentalis Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth $4,643,000.

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc NASDAQ: ZNTL is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small-molecule medicines for the treatment of cancer. The company's research programs are designed to target biological pathways involved in tumor growth, survival and resistance to existing therapies.

Zentalis' lead investigational product is azenosertib, also known as ZN-c3, an oral WEE1 inhibitor being evaluated in clinical trials for several advanced cancers.

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