Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Buys New Shares in Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:JAZZ)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has acquired a new stake in Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC, purchasing 11,213 shares worth approximately $1,392,000 in the first quarter.
• A significant majority (89.14%) of Jazz Pharmaceuticals shares are now owned by institutional investors, highlighting strong investor interest in the company.
• Analysts have mixed views on Jazz Pharmaceuticals, with a range of price targets set; the average target is $181.64, indicating a Moderate Buy recommendation overall.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC (NASDAQ:JAZZ - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 11,213 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $1,392,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. LSV Asset Management increased its position in shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,531,050 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock valued at $311,699,000 after acquiring an additional 37,108 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 18.7% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,035,070 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock worth $250,619,000 after purchasing an additional 320,724 shares during the period. Capital World Investors grew its holdings in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 5.7% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,923,342 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock worth $236,860,000 after purchasing an additional 104,195 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 20.9% during the fourth quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,827,658 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock worth $225,076,000 after purchasing an additional 315,608 shares during the period. Finally, Vestal Point Capital LP grew its holdings in Jazz Pharmaceuticals by 8.3% during the fourth quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP now owns 975,000 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company's stock worth $120,071,000 after purchasing an additional 75,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.14% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on JAZZ shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. They set a "buy" rating and a $152.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen cut Jazz Pharmaceuticals from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $147.00 price target (down previously from $176.00) on shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $202.00 price target on shares of Jazz Pharmaceuticals in a report on Wednesday, June 11th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on Jazz Pharmaceuticals from $182.00 to $172.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Jazz Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $181.64.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of JAZZ stock opened at $115.52 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.38, a quick ratio of 2.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The stock has a market cap of $6.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.34. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $110.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $117.81. Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC has a 1 year low of $95.49 and a 1 year high of $148.06.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:JAZZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.65 by ($2.97). The company had revenue of $897.84 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $984.16 million. Jazz Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 11.86% and a return on equity of 26.62%. The company's quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.68 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC will post 16.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Jazz Pharmaceuticals

In other Jazz Pharmaceuticals news, CEO Bruce C. Cozadd sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.63, for a total transaction of $107,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 436,973 shares in the company, valued at $47,031,403.99. The trade was a 0.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Seamus Mulligan acquired 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $98.26 per share, with a total value of $9,826,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 100,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,826,000. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Jazz Pharmaceuticals

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc identifies, develops, and commercializes pharmaceutical products for unmet medical needs in the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers Xywav for cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia; Xyrem to treat cataplexy or EDS with narcolepsy; Epidiolex for seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes, or tuberous sclerosis complex; Zepzelca to treat metastatic small cell lung cancer, or with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy; Rylaze for acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma; Enrylaze to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma; Defitelio to treat severe hepatic veno-occlusive disease; and Vyxeos for newly-diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia.

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