Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL) Lowered to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Candel Therapeutics from “Hold” to “Sell,” although the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $19.29.
• Candel reported a quarterly loss of $0.52 per share, missing the $0.24 consensus estimate, and analysts expect a full-year loss of $1.03 per share.
• The stock opened at $11.72, near its 52-week high of $11.95, while insiders recently sold shares; meanwhile, management is targeting a biologics license application submission in the fourth quarter and a first commercial product in 2027.

Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Sunday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Candel Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of Candel Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $23.00 price objective on shares of Candel Therapeutics in a report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Candel Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, July 13th. They set a "buy" rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald initiated coverage on Candel Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $19.29.

Candel Therapeutics Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ CADL opened at $11.72 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $858.72 million, a P/E ratio of -8.31 and a beta of -0.51. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $9.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $7.40. Candel Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $4.35 and a 52-week high of $11.95. The company has a quick ratio of 28.05, a current ratio of 28.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Candel Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CADL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The company reported ($0.52) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.24) by ($0.28). Equities research analysts expect that Candel Therapeutics will post -1.03 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CTO Seshu Tyagarajan sold 7,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.02, for a total transaction of $70,140.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer owned 83,865 shares of the company's stock, valued at $840,327.30. This represents a 7.70% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Francesca Barone sold 23,447 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.06, for a total value of $235,876.82. Following the sale, the insider owned 77,362 shares in the company, valued at $778,261.72. The trade was a 23.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 14.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Candel Therapeutics

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Janus Henderson Group PLC bought a new stake in shares of Candel Therapeutics during the 1st quarter worth about $845,000. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Candel Therapeutics by 20.9% in the 1st quarter. Halter Ferguson Financial Inc. now owns 904,051 shares of the company's stock worth $4,430,000 after acquiring an additional 155,996 shares during the period. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Candel Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at approximately $419,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of Candel Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Finally, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Candel Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at approximately $178,000. 13.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Candel Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Candel Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed its Buy rating and $23 price target, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The firm’s outlook reflects expectations for future earnings growth and progress in Candel’s pipeline. HC Wainwright reaffirms Buy rating and price target
• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted “meaningful execution” toward a biologics license application (BLA) submission in the fourth quarter. Candel is targeting its first commercial product in 2027, making regulatory progress a key catalyst for the stock. CADL rises as biotech targets 2027 commercial launch
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target from $9 to $12 but maintained a Neutral rating. The revised target is close to the recent share price, suggesting the analyst sees limited near-term upside despite the higher valuation estimate. Bank of America raises CADL price target
• Negative Sentiment: Candel reported a second-quarter loss of $0.52 per share, substantially worse than the $0.27 consensus estimate. The earnings miss highlights continued cash-burn and execution risk for the clinical-stage biotechnology company. Candel second-quarter earnings release
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright modestly reduced its FY2028 and FY2029 EPS estimates to $0.69 and $1.41, respectively. Although the firm retained its Buy rating and $23 target, the estimate cuts indicate slightly lower expectations for Candel’s long-term profitability.

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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