Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS) Trading Down 6.2% - Here's Why

Key Points

• Arbutus Biopharma shares fell 6.2% on Friday, trading as low as $4.84 after closing at $5.14 the prior day, with volume far below average.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock to buy, while Weiss Ratings reiterated a sell; the overall consensus rating is Hold with a $5.00 price target.
• The company reported strong recent quarterly results, including $0.87 EPS and $179.13 million in revenue, but analysts still expect full-year EPS of -$0.16.

Shares of Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS - Get Free Report) traded down 6.2% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $4.84 and last traded at $4.8230. 219,325 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 90% from the average daily volume of 2,125,152 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.14.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ABUS shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Arbutus Biopharma from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Arbutus Biopharma in a research note on Monday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $5.00.

Arbutus Biopharma Stock Down 8.7%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $4.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $927.45 million, a P/E ratio of 5.64 and a beta of 0.62.

Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter. Arbutus Biopharma had a return on equity of 129.32% and a net margin of 83.95%.The company had revenue of $179.13 million during the quarter. On average, research analysts predict that Arbutus Biopharma Corporation will post -0.16 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arbutus Biopharma

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Oxford Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in Arbutus Biopharma during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Voleon Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Arbutus Biopharma in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Cibc World Markets Corp bought a new position in shares of Arbutus Biopharma during the fourth quarter valued at $48,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Arbutus Biopharma during the first quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma by 3,911.1% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 15,844 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 15,449 shares during the last quarter. 43.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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