Western Standard LLC Invests $2.60 Million in Arbutus Biopharma Corporation $ABUS

Key Points

• Western Standard LLC acquired 542,787 Arbutus Biopharma shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $2.6 million and representing 0.27% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 43.79% of ABUS.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but leans positive: Arbutus has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $5.00, while recent ratings included an upgrade to Hold and a downgrade to Hold.
• ABUS shares opened at $4.98, within a 52-week range of $3.44 to $5.38. In its latest quarter, Arbutus reported $1.01 million in revenue but missed earnings expectations, posting a loss of $0.03 per share versus the estimated loss of $0.02.

Western Standard LLC acquired a new position in Arbutus Biopharma Corporation (NASDAQ:ABUS - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 542,787 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $2,605,000. Arbutus Biopharma comprises about 0.9% of Western Standard LLC's holdings, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Western Standard LLC owned 0.27% of Arbutus Biopharma at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Oxford Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in Arbutus Biopharma during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Stoneridge Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Arbutus Biopharma during the 2nd quarter worth $44,000. Voleon Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma during the 3rd quarter valued at $47,000. Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma in the 4th quarter worth $48,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Arbutus Biopharma in the 1st quarter worth $49,000. 43.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Arbutus Biopharma from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Wall Street Zen cut Arbutus Biopharma from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Arbutus Biopharma presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $5.00.

Arbutus Biopharma Stock Performance

Shares of Arbutus Biopharma stock opened at $4.98 on Thursday. Arbutus Biopharma Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $3.44 and a fifty-two week high of $5.38. The company has a market capitalization of $985.29 million, a P/E ratio of 6.30 and a beta of 0.64. The company has a fifty day moving average of $4.60 and a 200 day moving average of $4.44.

Arbutus Biopharma (NASDAQ:ABUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.03) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by ($0.01). Arbutus Biopharma had a net margin of 84.22% and a return on equity of 90.98%. The business had revenue of $1.01 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.70 million.

Arbutus Biopharma Profile

Arbutus Biopharma Corporation is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and advancing a cure for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The company's pipeline features both direct-acting antivirals and host-targeting therapies designed to reduce viral load and restore immune function. Lead programs include an RNA interference (RNAi) candidate aimed at silencing viral gene expression and next-generation capsid assembly modulators that seek to inhibit viral replication at its core.

In addition to its antiviral portfolio, Arbutus leverages proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology to optimize the distribution and cellular uptake of nucleic acid therapeutics.

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