Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS) Shares Acquired by Allianz Asset Management GmbH

Key Points

• Allianz Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Merus N.V. by 34.5%, holding 15,600 shares worth approximately $657,000.
• Merus N.V. reported a loss of $1.40 per share for the most recent quarter, which was below analysts’ expectations of a loss of $1.17 per share.
• Institutional investors own 96.14% of Merus stock, highlighting substantial institutional support.

Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in shares of Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS - Free Report) by 34.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 15,600 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after buying an additional 4,000 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH's holdings in Merus were worth $657,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Merus by 2,153.6% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 631 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Merus in the 4th quarter valued at $48,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in Merus by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,400 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. acquired a new stake in Merus during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Merus during the 4th quarter worth about $84,000. Institutional investors own 96.14% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on MRUS. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on Merus from $97.00 to $96.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Merus from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Sunday, July 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Merus from $91.00 to $89.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Merus in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets set a $110.00 price target on shares of Merus and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $88.50.

Merus Stock Performance

NASDAQ MRUS traded down $4.12 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $63.34. 617,482 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 889,239. Merus N.V. has a 1-year low of $33.19 and a 1-year high of $67.59. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $57.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.38 billion, a PE ratio of -15.64 and a beta of 1.09.

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($2.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.17) by ($1.06). The company had revenue of $8.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.77 million. Merus had a negative return on equity of 35.99% and a negative net margin of 506.73%. On average, analysts anticipate that Merus N.V. will post -3.85 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, COO Peter B. Silverman sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 82,500 shares of company stock worth $4,586,340. 4.57% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.