CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Upgraded to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded CRISPR Therapeutics from “sell” to “hold,” adding to a mixed but generally cautious analyst backdrop for the stock.
• Other firms have recently adjusted their views and targets, with ratings ranging from underweight to buy; the current consensus remains Moderate Buy with a target price of $65.94.
• The company remains a loss-making biotech, reporting a $1.28 per-share loss last quarter and expecting full-year EPS of -5.07, while insiders have also sold shares recently.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

CRSP has been the subject of several other research reports. Citizens Jmp lowered their price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $86.00 to $80.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Morgan Stanley restated an "underweight" rating and set a $33.00 price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $110.00 price target (up from $105.00) on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $80.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $65.94.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Up 4.6%

CRSP stock opened at $54.83 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 17.97 and a quick ratio of 13.32. CRISPR Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $34.87 and a 1-year high of $78.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $52.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $54.39. The firm has a market cap of $5.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.82 and a beta of 1.74.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The company reported ($1.28) earnings per share for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 13,856.54% and a negative return on equity of 25.66%. The business had revenue of $1.46 million for the quarter. Research analysts predict that CRISPR Therapeutics will post -5.07 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at CRISPR Therapeutics

In related news, insider Naimish Patel sold 3,150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.26, for a total value of $152,019.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 13,143 shares in the company, valued at $634,281.18. This represents a 19.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel James R. Kasinger sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $48.26, for a total transaction of $166,497.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 91,240 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,403,242.40. This represents a 3.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 51,828 shares of company stock worth $2,578,097. Insiders own 4.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 98.3% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 593,416 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,459,000 after purchasing an additional 294,222 shares during the period. Nwam LLC increased its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 455.7% in the 3rd quarter. Nwam LLC now owns 101,769 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,770,000 after purchasing an additional 83,454 shares during the period. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd increased its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 44.7% in the 3rd quarter. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd now owns 283,111 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,348,000 after purchasing an additional 87,509 shares during the period. O Neil Global Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at about $10,934,000. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,524,144 shares of the company's stock valued at $132,366,000 after purchasing an additional 180,580 shares during the period. 69.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRISPR Therapeutics News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright and Brookline Capital Markets both raised several near-term earnings estimates for CRSP, signaling slightly better expectations for 2026 and 2027 profitability. Those revisions can help support the stock by suggesting improving fundamentals. Analyst estimate updates for CRISPR Therapeutics
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reiterated a Buy view on CRSP, adding to the constructive analyst tone around the name. Piper Sandler Buy rating article
• Neutral Sentiment: CRISPR Therapeutics was also listed as a “trending stock” on Zacks, which reflects elevated investor interest but does not by itself change the company’s outlook. CRISPR Therapeutics trending stock article
• Neutral Sentiment: One note highlighted conflicting analyst sentiment across healthcare names, reinforcing that CRSP is still viewed as a high-uncertainty biotech story rather than a clear fundamentals-driven winner. Conflicting analyst sentiment article
• Negative Sentiment: Despite some upgrades, the company is still expected to post meaningful losses in the coming years, and Brookline cut its FY2026 and FY2030 earnings outlook in some areas, reminding investors that CRSP remains a speculative, pre-profitability story. CRISPR Therapeutics earnings estimate updates

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics AG is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of gene-editing therapies based on the CRISPR/Cas9 platform. The company applies its proprietary technology to modify genes in human cells, aiming to create durable treatments for a range of serious diseases. Its research and development efforts focus on both ex vivo and in vivo applications, enabling targeted correction or disruption of disease-causing genes.

Among its lead programs is CTX001, an ex vivo edited cell therapy designed to treat sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia in collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

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