Artivion (NYSE:AORT) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Buy" Rating

Key Points

• Artivion was upgraded to a "Buy" by Wall Street Zen, joining several recent analyst upgrades that leave the company with a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating and a consensus price target of about $51.
• The company recently beat quarterly estimates with EPS of $0.17 and revenue of $118.3M (up 19.2% year-over-year), though the stock trades near $37.63 with a high P/E of 188.16 and a 1-year range of $22.22–$48.25.
• Insiders have sold shares recently (133,043 shares worth roughly $5.0M over three months) even as institutional ownership is high at about 86.37% and several hedge funds have increased or initiated positions.

Artivion (NYSE:AORT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on AORT. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Artivion from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $42.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Artivion from a "sell (d)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on shares of Artivion from $51.00 to $48.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 13th. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $58.00 price objective on shares of Artivion in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $55.00 price target on shares of Artivion in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Artivion currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $51.00.

Artivion Stock Performance

NYSE AORT opened at $37.63 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 188.16 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a 50 day moving average of $37.15 and a 200-day moving average of $41.69. The company has a current ratio of 3.53, a quick ratio of 2.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Artivion has a 1-year low of $22.22 and a 1-year high of $48.25.

Artivion (NYSE:AORT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The company reported $0.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $118.30 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $116.42 million. Artivion had a net margin of 2.21% and a return on equity of 7.43%. The business's revenue was up 19.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Artivion will post 0.37 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Artivion

In other Artivion news, SVP Jean F. Holloway sold 8,962 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total value of $340,556.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 185,095 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,033,610. This trade represents a 4.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Lance A. Berry sold 6,316 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.78, for a total transaction of $238,618.48. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 210,827 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,965,044.06. The trade was a 2.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 133,043 shares of company stock valued at $4,977,158 over the last three months. Insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Artivion

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in Artivion in the second quarter valued at approximately $664,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Artivion by 578.4% in the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 39,030 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,780,000 after acquiring an additional 33,277 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Artivion by 338.2% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 122,199 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,174,000 after acquiring an additional 94,312 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in Artivion by 23.7% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 161,970 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,858,000 after acquiring an additional 30,989 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Artivion in the third quarter valued at approximately $17,912,000. 86.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Artivion

Artivion, Inc NYSE: AORT is a global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and markets implantable tissue products and surgical devices for cardiac and vascular surgery. The company’s portfolio includes biologic implants derived from human and animal tissue, such as allografts and xenografts, as well as synthetic scaffolds and surgical adhesives. These products are designed to repair, reinforce or replace damaged cardiovascular and thoracic tissues during procedures such as aortic repair, heart valve surgery and vascular reconstruction.

Originally founded in 1984 under the name CryoLife, the company rebranded as Artivion in early 2022 to reflect its broader mission in cardiovascular innovation.

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