Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Purchases 871,059 Shares of PepGen, Inc. $PEPG

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in PepGen by 181.0%, buying 871,059 shares in Q4 and holding 1,352,424 shares (~1.97% of the company) worth about $8.8 million.
• Analysts are mixed but generally positive—five Buy ratings and one Sell produce an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $11.80, well above the current share price.
• PepGen is a clinical‑stage gene‑editing biotech (lead programs PPG‑001 and PPG‑002); shares recently opened near $1.75 with a market cap around $121 million, and the company reported quarterly EPS of ($0.27) beating estimates.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in shares of PepGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEPG - Free Report) by 181.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,352,424 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 871,059 shares during the quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned approximately 1.97% of PepGen worth $8,804,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of PepGen by 94.9% during the fourth quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 11,202 shares of the company's stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 5,453 shares during the last quarter. Heights Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of PepGen during the third quarter worth $46,000. Burkehill Global Management LP bought a new stake in shares of PepGen during the third quarter worth $46,000. Militia Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of PepGen during the third quarter worth $72,000. Finally, ADAR1 Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in PepGen by 81.0% in the third quarter. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC now owns 36,842 shares of the company's stock valued at $170,000 after purchasing an additional 16,490 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on PEPG. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of PepGen in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Oppenheimer began coverage on PepGen in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $15.00 price objective for the company. Wedbush dropped their price objective on PepGen from $9.00 to $5.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Guggenheim upped their price objective on PepGen from $6.00 to $7.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $11.80.

PepGen Trading Up 6.7%

NASDAQ PEPG opened at $1.75 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $4.88. The company has a market capitalization of $121.05 million, a PE ratio of -0.73 and a beta of 2.01. PepGen, Inc. has a 12 month low of $1.01 and a 12 month high of $7.80.

PepGen (NASDAQ:PEPG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.27) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.40) by $0.13. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that PepGen, Inc. will post -1.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepGen Company Profile

PepGen, Inc NASDAQ: PEPG is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, California. The company is developing precision gene editing therapies to address rare genetic diseases by combining advanced prime editing modalities with proprietary delivery technologies. PepGen’s platform is designed to achieve targeted and durable correction of disease-causing mutations in vivo, with the goal of providing long-lasting therapeutic benefit after a single administration.

The company’s lead development programs include PPG-001 for mucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter syndrome) and PPG-002 for mucopolysaccharidosis type I (Hurler syndrome).

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