First Light Asset Management LLC Sells 79,249 Shares of AnaptysBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANAB)

First Light Asset Management LLC lessened its position in shares of AnaptysBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANAB - Free Report) by 8.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 868,882 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 79,249 shares during the quarter. AnaptysBio accounts for 1.1% of First Light Asset Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. First Light Asset Management LLC owned approximately 2.86% of AnaptysBio worth $11,504,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in AnaptysBio by 191.4% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 33,744 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $1,130,000 after acquiring an additional 22,164 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of AnaptysBio by 41.0% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 334,450 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $4,428,000 after acquiring an additional 97,200 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of AnaptysBio by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,843,740 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $24,411,000 after acquiring an additional 143,584 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in AnaptysBio in the fourth quarter valued at about $311,000. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in AnaptysBio by 1,891.5% in the fourth quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 4,461 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $59,000 after buying an additional 4,237 shares during the last quarter.

AnaptysBio Stock Up 4.9 %

AnaptysBio stock traded up $1.04 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $22.22. The company's stock had a trading volume of 581,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 592,919. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $18.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.38. AnaptysBio, Inc. has a 12 month low of $12.21 and a 12 month high of $41.31. The company has a market capitalization of $681.42 million, a PE ratio of -3.65 and a beta of -0.09.

AnaptysBio (NASDAQ:ANAB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.72) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.61) by $0.89. The company had revenue of $43.11 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $10.17 million. AnaptysBio had a negative return on equity of 287.94% and a negative net margin of 289.75%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AnaptysBio, Inc. will post -6.08 EPS for the current year.

AnaptysBio announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Monday, March 24th that allows the company to buyback $75.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the biotechnology company to repurchase up to 13.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on ANAB shares. HC Wainwright restated a "neutral" rating and set a $22.00 target price on shares of AnaptysBio in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of AnaptysBio from $40.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating on shares of AnaptysBio in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of AnaptysBio in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Johnson Rice reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AnaptysBio in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, AnaptysBio presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $33.63.

About AnaptysBio

AnaptysBio, Inc, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses in delivering immunology therapeutics. Its products include Rosnilimab, an IgG1 antibody that targets PD-1+ T cells, resulting in their agonism or depletion, broadly impacting pathogenic drivers of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases; and ANB032, a non-depleting antibody that binds to the BTLA checkpoint receptor and inhibits activated T cell proliferation; ANB033, a novel anti-CD122 antagonist antibody that targets the shared common beta subunit of the receptors for IL-15 and IL-2; ANB101, a BDCA2 modulator antibody that specifically targets plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs); and Imsidolimab, an antibody that inhibits the interleukin-36 receptor, which is in the Phase 3 development for the treatment of generalized pustular psoriasis.