Aberdeen Group plc Has $7.24 Million Stock Position in Merus N.V. $MRUS

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc increased its stake in Merus N.V. by 97.3% in the 1st quarter, now holding 172,063 shares worth $7.24 million.
• Merus N.V. recently reported a loss of $2.23 EPS, which was significantly below analysts' expectations, alongside a revenue of $8.83 million for the quarter.
• Despite fluctuating analyst ratings, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $88.50.

Aberdeen Group plc lifted its stake in Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS - Free Report) by 97.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 172,063 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after acquiring an additional 84,848 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.25% of Merus worth $7,242,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Boxer Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Merus in the 4th quarter worth approximately $79,895,000. Polar Capital Holdings Plc raised its holdings in shares of Merus by 34.7% in the 4th quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc now owns 1,706,238 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $71,747,000 after purchasing an additional 439,186 shares in the last quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP raised its holdings in shares of Merus by 51.2% in the 1st quarter. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP now owns 1,501,220 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $63,186,000 after purchasing an additional 508,063 shares in the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its holdings in shares of Merus by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 1,188,518 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $49,977,000 after purchasing an additional 3,593 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Merus by 87.0% in the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 883,565 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $37,154,000 after purchasing an additional 411,184 shares in the last quarter. 96.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Peter B. Silverman sold 34,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.76, for a total transaction of $1,793,840.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 82,500 shares of company stock worth $4,586,340. 3.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MRUS shares. BMO Capital Markets set a $110.00 price target on shares of Merus and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Merus from $97.00 to $96.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Merus in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merus from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Merus from $91.00 to $89.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and ten have assigned a Buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $88.50.

Merus Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MRUS traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $67.49. 698,628 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 585,369. The company's 50 day moving average is $59.91 and its 200 day moving average is $50.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.10 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.27 and a beta of 1.09. Merus N.V. has a one year low of $33.19 and a one year high of $68.00.

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($2.23) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.17) by ($1.06). The firm had revenue of $8.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.77 million. Merus had a negative return on equity of 50.28% and a negative net margin of 685.64%. Research analysts anticipate that Merus N.V. will post -3.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Merus Company Profile

Merus N.V., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, engages in the development of antibody therapeutics in the Netherlands. Its bispecific antibody candidate pipeline includes Zenocutuzumab (MCLA-128), which is in a phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer, as well as in Phase 1/2 clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors that harbor Neuregulin 1.