Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ARCT) Stock Price Up 5.6% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Arcturus Therapeutics' stock price increased by 5.6% during mid-day trading, reaching a high of $20.55, despite a significant drop in trading volume compared to the average.
• Analysts show mixed sentiment: while Wall Street Zen upgraded the stock from "sell" to "hold," Weiss Ratings maintained a "sell" rating, with an average target price set at $50.57.
• In its latest earnings report, Arcturus reported a net income of $28.30 million, outperforming analysts' revenue expectations, alongside a better-than-expected EPS of ($0.34).

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ARCT - Get Free Report) shares traded up 5.6% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $20.55 and last traded at $20.47. 201,844 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average session volume of 517,189 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.39.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Arcturus Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Scotiabank reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Arcturus Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, July 2nd. HC Wainwright assumed coverage on Arcturus Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, September 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Arcturus Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Leerink Partners cut their target price on Arcturus Therapeutics from $63.00 to $54.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $50.57.

Arcturus Therapeutics Stock Up 11.7%

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $18.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $14.28. The stock has a market cap of $588.04 million, a P/E ratio of -9.82 and a beta of 2.39.

Arcturus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ARCT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.34) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.11) by $0.77. The company had revenue of $28.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.64 million. Arcturus Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 24.87% and a negative net margin of 49.26%. Equities analysts predict that Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. will post -2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Arcturus Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Arcturus Therapeutics by 51.8% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,163 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its holdings in Arcturus Therapeutics by 218.9% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,393 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 2,329 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Arcturus Therapeutics by 163.4% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,169 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 2,586 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Arcturus Therapeutics during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Arcturus Therapeutics by 40,686.2% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 11,828 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 11,799 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.54% of the company's stock.

Arcturus Therapeutics Company Profile

Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc, a late-stage clinical messenger RNA medicines and vaccine company, focuses on the development of infectious disease vaccines and other products within liver and respiratory rare diseases. Its technology platforms include LUNAR lipid-mediated delivery and STARR mRNA.

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