Atara Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ATRA) Stock Passes Below Fifty Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Atara Biotherapeutics' share price dropped below its fifty-day moving average of $11.66, closing at $12.05 with a trading volume of 77,451 shares.
• The company recently reported a quarterly earnings per share of $0.19, exceeding analyst expectations of ($0.32) and showing revenue of $17.58 million, significantly higher than the anticipated $4.23 million.
• Insider activity is notable, with major shareholder Innovation Ltd Panacea acquiring 55,000 shares at an average price of $12.19, increasing their ownership stake by 4.07%.

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRA - Get Free Report) shares crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.66 and traded as low as $11.66. Atara Biotherapeutics shares last traded at $12.05, with a volume of 77,451 shares.

Atara Biotherapeutics Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $86.46 million, a PE ratio of -28.38 and a beta of 0.22. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $11.66 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.82.

Atara Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:ATRA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The biotechnology company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.32) by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $17.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.23 million. Atara Biotherapeutics had a net margin of 3.07% and a negative return on equity of 8.34%. Sell-side analysts predict that Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. will post -10.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Atara Biotherapeutics

In other Atara Biotherapeutics news, major shareholder Innovation Ltd Panacea bought 55,000 shares of Atara Biotherapeutics stock in a transaction on Friday, August 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $12.19 per share, for a total transaction of $670,450.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 1,405,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $17,126,950. The trade was a 4.07% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 4.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Atara Biotherapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Atara Biotherapeutics in the second quarter worth $31,000. Northern Trust Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Atara Biotherapeutics in the fourth quarter worth $149,000. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Atara Biotherapeutics in the second quarter worth $327,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Atara Biotherapeutics by 2.5% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 60,136 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 1,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Staley Capital Advisers Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Atara Biotherapeutics by 60.0% in the first quarter. Staley Capital Advisers Inc. now owns 80,000 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $475,000 after buying an additional 30,000 shares during the last quarter. 70.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Atara Biotherapeutics Company Profile

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc engages in the development of transformative therapies for patients with solid tumors, hematologic cancers, and autoimmune diseases in the United States and the United Kingdom. Its lead product includes Tab-cel (tabelecleucel), a T-cell immunotherapy program that is in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of epstein-barr virus (EBV) driven post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma.