Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:ARMP) Short Interest Up 113.3% in June

Key Points

• Short interest in Armata Pharmaceuticals surged 113.3% in June, rising to 441,157 shares as of June 30 from 206,873 shares on June 15. That represents about 7.8% of the float, with a short-interest ratio of 1.5 days.
• ARMP shares were trading near $3.99, well below both the 50-day moving average of $7.22 and the 200-day moving average of $8.39. The stock has ranged from a 52-week low of $2.31 to a high of $16.34.
• The company remains a clinical-stage biotech with ongoing losses, reporting a wider-than-expected quarterly EPS loss of $3.16 versus estimates for a $0.38 loss. Analysts currently rate the stock a “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $15.00.

Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:ARMP - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in June. As of June 30th, there was short interest totaling 441,157 shares, a growth of 113.3% from the June 15th total of 206,873 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 302,873 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 7.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Armata Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of ARMP stock traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $3.99. The company had a trading volume of 139,821 shares, compared to its average volume of 83,569. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $7.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $8.39. Armata Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $2.31 and a 52-week high of $16.34. The company has a market capitalization of $146.47 million, a P/E ratio of -0.51 and a beta of 1.26.

Armata Pharmaceuticals (NYSEAMERICAN:ARMP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The company reported ($3.16) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.38) by ($2.78). The company had revenue of $0.79 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.74 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that Armata Pharmaceuticals will post -1.88 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Armata Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Armata Pharmaceuticals by 17.3% during the 4th quarter. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC now owns 40,988 shares of the company's stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 6,034 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Armata Pharmaceuticals by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 109,888 shares of the company's stock worth $690,000 after acquiring an additional 5,342 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Armata Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth approximately $284,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Armata Pharmaceuticals by 65.9% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 68,496 shares of the company's stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 27,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Armata Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $108,000. 3.57% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Zacks Research upgraded Armata Pharmaceuticals to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $15.00.

Armata Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Armata Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted bacteriophage therapies to address antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The company's proprietary platform harnesses naturally occurring viruses that selectively infect and destroy bacterial pathogens, offering a novel approach to combating drug-resistant strains that pose significant challenges in hospital and community settings.

Armata's pipeline includes phage-based candidates aimed at Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia and infections in cystic fibrosis patients, as well as Staphylococcus aureus and other priority pathogens.

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