Algert Global LLC Sells 66,013 Shares of Merus N.V. $MRUS

Key Points

• Algert Global LLC reduced its position in Merus N.V. by 38.1%, selling 66,013 shares in the first quarter, leaving it with about 0.15% of the company valued at $4.5 million.
• Merus reported a significant loss with an EPS of ($2.23), missing analysts' estimates, and had a negative net margin of 685.64% in its last earnings report.
• Despite the challenges, Merus has received mostly favorable analyst ratings, with ten analysts assigning a buy rating and one a strong-buy rating, indicating a consensus price target of $88.50.

Algert Global LLC lessened its position in Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS - Free Report) by 38.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 107,101 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 66,013 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC owned 0.15% of Merus worth $4,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Avoro Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Merus by 56.8% in the 4th quarter. Avoro Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,125,000 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $89,356,000 after acquiring an additional 770,000 shares during the last quarter. Boxer Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Merus in the 4th quarter worth about $79,895,000. Polar Capital Holdings Plc lifted its position 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 during the period. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP lifted its position 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 during the period. Finally, Woodline Partners LP lifted its position 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 during the period. Institutional investors own 96.14% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Merus

In other news, COO Peter B. Silverman sold 25,000 shares of Merus stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $1,500,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders have sold 82,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,586,340 in the last three months. Insiders own 3.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped 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. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Merus in a research report on Monday, April 28th. BMO Capital Markets set a $110.00 target price on shares of Merus and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on shares of Merus from $97.00 to $96.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Merus from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and ten have given a Buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $88.50.

Merus Stock Up 1.3%

Merus stock traded up $0.84 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $67.49. The stock had a trading volume of 698,628 shares, compared to its average volume of 868,081. The stock 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 12-month low of $33.19 and a 12-month high of $68.00. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $59.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.19.

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

Merus 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.