Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR)

Capricor Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CAPR - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Traders purchased 7,897 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 62% compared to the typical daily volume of 4,879 put options.

Capricor Therapeutics Trading Down 15.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:CAPR traded down $2.16 during trading on Friday, reaching $11.78. The company had a trading volume of 3,082,158 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,823,238. The company has a fifty day moving average of $10.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $538.08 million, a P/E ratio of -11.11 and a beta of 0.84. Capricor Therapeutics has a 12 month low of $3.52 and a 12 month high of $23.40.

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 13th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.53) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.33) by ($0.20). Capricor Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 112.95% and a negative net margin of 146.86%. The company had revenue of $2.73 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($0.31) EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Capricor Therapeutics will post -1.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $77.00 target price on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a research note on Friday. Roth Capital initiated coverage on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $31.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Capricor Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $35.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Capricor Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 54.1% during the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,832 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,345 shares during the last quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC grew its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 9.6% during the 1st quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 22,800 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $216,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 113,650 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $1,079,000 after purchasing an additional 2,314 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 22.4% during the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 12,919 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $178,000 after purchasing an additional 2,361 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 20.5% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 14,678 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 2,500 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 21.68% of the company's stock.

About Capricor Therapeutics

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc NASDAQ: CAPR is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class biological therapeutics for the treatment of rare disorders. Capricor's lead candidate, CAP-1002, is an allogeneic cell therapy that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.