Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS) Cut to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Arbutus Biopharma to “hold” from “buy,” while Weiss Ratings upgraded it from “sell” to “hold.” The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and a $5.00 price target.
• Arbutus shares opened at $4.67, up 2.0%, with a market capitalization of approximately $922.5 million and a 12-month trading range of $3.31 to $5.38.
• The company’s latest quarterly results showed a loss of $0.03 per share, missing estimates by $0.01, although revenue of $1.01 million exceeded expectations. Institutional investors own approximately 43.79% of the stock.

Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Arbutus Biopharma from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $5.00.

Arbutus Biopharma Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:ABUS opened at $4.67 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $922.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.91 and a beta of 0.64. Arbutus Biopharma has a 12-month low of $3.31 and a 12-month high of $5.38. The business's 50 day moving average is $4.56 and its 200 day moving average is $4.42.

Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $1.01 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $0.70 million. Arbutus Biopharma had a net margin of 84.22% and a return on equity of 90.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arbutus Biopharma

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ABUS. Rubric Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma by 320.6% in the first quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 6,626,389 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $29,819,000 after purchasing an additional 5,051,013 shares in the last quarter. Two Seas Capital LP lifted its stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma by 14.5% during the 4th quarter. Two Seas Capital LP now owns 12,589,158 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $60,554,000 after buying an additional 1,597,897 shares in the last quarter. Avidity Partners Management LP bought a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the 1st quarter worth approximately $562,000. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Finally, Walleye Trading LLC purchased a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $67,000. 43.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Arbutus Biopharma Company Profile

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and advancing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The company's pipeline features both direct-acting antivirals and host-targeting therapies designed to reduce viral load and restore immune function. Lead programs include an RNA interference (RNAi) candidate aimed at silencing viral gene expression and next-generation capsid assembly modulators that seek to inhibit viral replication at its core.

In addition to its antiviral portfolio, Arbutus leverages proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology to optimize the distribution and cellular uptake of nucleic acid therapeutics.

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