AWM Investment Company Inc. Sells 522,973 Shares of Benitec Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:BNTC)

AWM Investment Company Inc. trimmed its position in Benitec Biopharma Inc. (NASDAQ:BNTC - Free Report) by 83.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 102,027 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 522,973 shares during the quarter. AWM Investment Company Inc. owned 0.44% of Benitec Biopharma worth $1,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Suvretta Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Benitec Biopharma by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Suvretta Capital Management LLC now owns 8,960,009 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $113,165,000 after acquiring an additional 130,956 shares in the last quarter. Lion Point Capital LP raised its holdings in shares of Benitec Biopharma by 59.0% in the 4th quarter. Lion Point Capital LP now owns 62,000 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $783,000 after purchasing an additional 23,000 shares in the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its holdings in shares of Benitec Biopharma by 198.5% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 2,616,427 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $33,268,000 after purchasing an additional 1,739,904 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its position in shares of Benitec Biopharma by 138.4% in the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 35,476 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $448,000 after purchasing an additional 20,597 shares during the period. Finally, 683 Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Benitec Biopharma during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $452,000. Institutional investors own 52.19% of the company's stock.

Benitec Biopharma Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of BNTC stock opened at $13.93 on Wednesday. Benitec Biopharma Inc. has a 12-month low of $5.74 and a 12-month high of $16.90. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $13.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $12.07. The company has a market cap of $356.61 million, a PE ratio of -9.23 and a beta of 0.34.

Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 14th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.36) by $0.12. On average, equities analysts forecast that Benitec Biopharma Inc. will post -1.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BNTC shares. JMP Securities reissued a "market outperform" rating and issued a $20.00 price objective on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. HC Wainwright reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 price target on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a research report on Monday. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.71.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Suvretta Capital Management, L bought 900,000 shares of Benitec Biopharma stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was bought at an average price of $13.00 per share, for a total transaction of $11,700,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 8,793,245 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $114,312,185. The trade was a 11.40% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

About Benitec Biopharma

Benitec Biopharma Inc, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses on the development of novel genetic medicines. The company develops DNA-directed RNA interference-based therapeutics for chronic and life-threatening human conditions. It is developing BB-301, an adeno-associated virus based gene therapy agent for treating oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.

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