Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL) from "hold" to "strong sell", even as the broader analyst mix remains mixed (five Buys, one Hold, two Sells) with an average target of $18.
• Candel missed quarterly EPS estimates, reporting ($0.54) vs. consensus ($0.24) and faces negative FY earnings forecasts, while shares trade around $4.95 with 50‑/200‑day moving averages near $5.22/$5.40 and a 52‑week range of $4.25–$7.25.
• Director Paul B. Manning purchased 550,458 shares (~$3.0M), raising his stake by ~24.9%, and insiders collectively own about 16.6% of the company, signaling notable insider conviction despite the downgrade.

Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

CADL has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Candel Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Candel Therapeutics from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Candel Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $15.00 price target on shares of Candel Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $18.00.

Candel Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:CADL opened at $4.95 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $5.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $5.40. The firm has a market cap of $362.59 million, a P/E ratio of -6.97 and a beta of -0.81. Candel Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $4.25 and a 52-week high of $7.25. The company has a quick ratio of 13.49, a current ratio of 13.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91.

Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The company reported ($0.54) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.24) by ($0.30). As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Candel Therapeutics will post -1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Paul B. Manning purchased 550,458 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $5.45 per share, with a total value of $2,999,996.10. Following the purchase, the director owned 2,763,527 shares of the company's stock, valued at $15,061,222.15. This trade represents a 24.87% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 16.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Candel Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Candel Therapeutics by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 42,517 shares of the company's stock worth $240,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Candel Therapeutics by 29.0% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 15,039 shares of the company's stock worth $85,000 after acquiring an additional 3,380 shares during the period. Taylor Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Candel Therapeutics by 36.0% during the 3rd quarter. Taylor Financial Group Inc. now owns 13,600 shares of the company's stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 3,600 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Candel Therapeutics by 25.5% during the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 19,443 shares of the company's stock worth $110,000 after acquiring an additional 3,955 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Candel Therapeutics by 128.2% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,901 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 4,439 shares during the period. 13.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Candel Therapeutics

Candel Therapeutics NASDAQ: CADL is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focused on the development of next-generation oncolytic viral therapies designed to treat solid tumors. The company's lead candidate, CAN-2409, is a locally administered, gene-delivered viral therapy engineered to selectively replicate in cancer cells and induce immunogenic cell death. Candel leverages proprietary virus engineering platforms to enhance tumor-specific replication and stimulate anti-tumor immune responses, aiming to improve outcomes for patients with high unmet medical needs.

In addition to its lead program, Candel's pipeline includes CAN-3110, an oncolytic herpes simplex virus targeting recurrent high-grade glioma, and other novel viral constructs being explored for a variety of solid tumor indications.

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