CRISPR Therapeutics Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:CRSP)

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) saw unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 10,886 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 49% compared to the average daily volume of 7,308 call options.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Down 3.7%

Shares of CRSP traded down $2.20 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $56.80. 2,883,963 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,945,294. CRISPR Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $30.04 and a 1 year high of $63.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.57 and a beta of 1.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $42.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.28.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported ($1.58) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.27) by ($0.31). CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 1,023.64% and a negative return on equity of 20.08%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned ($1.43) EPS. CRISPR Therapeutics's revenue was up 71.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics will post -5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CRSP. Chardan Capital restated a "buy" rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and issued a $65.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, June 27th. Barclays dropped their target price on CRISPR Therapeutics from $56.00 to $42.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised CRISPR Therapeutics to a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, May 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CRISPR Therapeutics currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $71.75.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Naimish Patel sold 3,932 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.94, for a total value of $141,316.08. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 6,068 shares in the company, valued at $218,083.92. The trade was a 39.32% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 272.4% during the first quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 1,337 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. 69.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics is a gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases.