ProQR Therapeutics N.V. (NASDAQ:PRQR) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately bullish: Eight brokerages give ProQR Therapeutics an average “Moderate Buy” rating, with six buys, one hold and one sell. The average 12-month price target is $7.50, well above the stock’s $1.90 opening price.
• ProQR reported quarterly EPS of negative $0.09, beating the consensus estimate of negative $0.13, while revenue of $10 million exceeded expectations of $4.56 million. Analysts expect a full-year loss of approximately $0.45 per share.
• Insiders have been buying shares: Executives and directors purchased 600,000 shares worth $988,500 over the past 90 days, while institutional investors and hedge funds own 32.65% of the company.

Shares of ProQR Therapeutics N.V. (NASDAQ:PRQR - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $7.50.

Several brokerages recently commented on PRQR. Chardan Capital dropped their target price on ProQR Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 26th. JonesTrading decreased their price target on ProQR Therapeutics from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings upgraded ProQR Therapeutics from a "sell (e+)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded ProQR Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Bank of America started coverage on ProQR Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $8.00 price objective on the stock.

ProQR Therapeutics Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of PRQR opened at $1.90 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $200.18 million, a PE ratio of -4.13 and a beta of 0.06. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $1.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $1.76. ProQR Therapeutics has a 52-week low of $1.33 and a 52-week high of $3.10.

ProQR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PRQR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.09) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.13) by $0.04. The company had revenue of $10.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.56 million. ProQR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 223.51% and a negative return on equity of 73.83%. On average, equities analysts expect that ProQR Therapeutics will post -0.45 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at ProQR Therapeutics

In other ProQR Therapeutics news, CEO Daniel de Boer purchased 150,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1.74 per share, with a total value of $261,000.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 300,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $522,000. The trade was a 100.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bart Filius purchased 150,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, July 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1.72 per share, with a total value of $258,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 300,000 shares in the company, valued at $516,000. The trade was a 100.00% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 600,000 shares of company stock worth $988,500. 8.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of ProQR Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RFG Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of ProQR Therapeutics by 236.8% during the second quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 64,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $119,000 after purchasing an additional 45,000 shares during the period. Axiom Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of ProQR Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at $53,000. Walleye Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of ProQR Therapeutics by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 607,529 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $984,000 after purchasing an additional 15,744 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of ProQR Therapeutics by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 185,110 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $300,000 after purchasing an additional 11,186 shares during the period. 32.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About ProQR Therapeutics

ProQR Therapeutics N.V. NASDAQ: PRQR is a biotechnology company focused on developing RNA-based medicines for genetic and other serious diseases. The company's research platform is designed to modify RNA and potentially correct disease-causing genetic defects without permanently changing a patient's DNA.

ProQR has primarily pursued treatments for inherited retinal disorders and other conditions affecting the eye. Its pipeline has included investigational RNA therapies such as sepofarsen, developed for Leber congenital amaurosis type 10, and ultevursen, developed for Usher syndrome type 2A.

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