965,919 Shares of Avantor, Inc. $AVTR Purchased by Simplify Asset Management Inc.

Key Points

• Simplify Asset Management acquired 965,919 Avantor shares worth approximately $14.5 million, while institutional investors collectively own 95.08% of the company.
• Avantor’s third-quarter revenue rose 4.6% year over year to $1.70 billion, exceeding estimates, while adjusted EPS of $0.22 beat expectations; management also raised its 2026 guidance.
• Despite improving results, analyst sentiment remains cautious: Avantor has a consensus “Hold” rating, a $13.66 average price target, and Barclays maintains a Sell rating amid valuation and profitability concerns.

Simplify Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Avantor, Inc. (NYSE:AVTR - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 965,919 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,537,000. Avantor makes up approximately 0.2% of Simplify Asset Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AVTR. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Avantor during the second quarter worth about $695,784,000. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC purchased a new position in shares of Avantor in the second quarter valued at approximately $195,386,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Avantor in the second quarter valued at approximately $108,795,000. Engine Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of Avantor by 65.8% in the first quarter. Engine Capital Management LP now owns 19,780,830 shares of the company's stock valued at $155,082,000 after purchasing an additional 7,853,018 shares during the period. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Avantor in the second quarter valued at approximately $56,577,000. 95.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Avantor News

Here are the key news stories impacting Avantor this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Avantor generated third-quarter net sales of $1.698 billion, up 4.6% year over year and ahead of the $1.64 billion consensus estimate. Organic sales increased 5.2%, with both business segments returning to growth. Avantor Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings were $0.22 per share, exceeding the $0.21 analyst estimate and matching the year-ago result. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.30. Avantor Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its full-year 2026 organic revenue-growth, adjusted EPS and free-cash-flow guidance, indicating improving operating momentum and cash generation. Avantor Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Avantor appointed Mikey Santiago as chief information officer to lead its global information-technology strategy; the move could support longer-term execution but is unlikely to materially affect near-term results. Avantor Appoints New Chief Information Officer
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays maintained a Sell rating and a $15 price target, below recent trading levels, reinforcing concerns that the stock’s strong rally has outpaced fundamental expectations. Barclays Maintains Sell Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Although results and guidance improved, Avantor continues to report a negative net margin, while the market reaction suggests investors may have already priced in the earnings beat and raised outlook.

Avantor Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AVTR opened at $16.62 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $11.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -19.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.83 and a beta of 0.94. The stock's 50-day moving average is $15.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.20. Avantor, Inc. has a 1-year low of $7.26 and a 1-year high of $17.45.

Avantor (NYSE:AVTR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.01. Avantor had a positive return on equity of 9.92% and a negative net margin of 8.81%. The business had revenue of $1.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.64 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.22 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Avantor, Inc. will post 0.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on AVTR shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Avantor from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Avantor from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Avantor in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $16.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Avantor from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $17.00 price target on shares of Avantor in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $13.66.

Avantor Company Profile

Avantor, Inc is a global provider of mission-critical products and services used in the life sciences, healthcare, education, and advanced technology industries. The company supplies chemicals, reagents, laboratory consumables, equipment, and other materials used in research, development, manufacturing, and quality-control activities.

Avantor also provides specialized solutions for biopharmaceutical production, including materials and services that support drug development, biologics manufacturing, and other bioprocessing applications.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.