Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:INO) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Key Points

• Inovio experienced a 29.2% increase in short interest in April to 12,768,874 shares, representing about 18.7% of shares sold short and a short‑interest ratio of 2.7 days based on average volume.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.31, beating estimates (‑$0.37), yet the stock trades near $1.12 and carries a consensus analyst rating of Hold with an average 12‑month target of $6.75.
• Institutional activity has increased recently, with several funds adding stakes and institutional investors now owning about 26.8% of the company’s stock.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:INO - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 12,768,874 shares, a growth of 29.2% from the March 31st total of 9,884,839 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,714,170 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.7 days. Approximately 18.7% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on INO. Wall Street Zen upgraded Inovio Pharmaceuticals from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Inovio Pharmaceuticals has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $6.75.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Trading Down 2.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:INO traded down $0.03 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $1.12. 1,038,433 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,602,704. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $1.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $1.79. The company has a market cap of $77.77 million, a PE ratio of -0.67 and a beta of 1.70. Inovio Pharmaceuticals has a 12-month low of $1.03 and a 12-month high of $2.98.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:INO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.37) by $0.68. Equities research analysts anticipate that Inovio Pharmaceuticals will post -1.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of INO. AQR Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter worth approximately $120,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals by 39.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 20,781 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 5,894 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Inovio Pharmaceuticals during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $234,000. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Inovio Pharmaceuticals by 221.2% in the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 39,683 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $81,000 after buying an additional 27,329 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Inovio Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.79% of the company's stock.

About Inovio Pharmaceuticals

Inovio Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of DNA-based immunotherapies and vaccines aimed at treating and preventing infectious diseases and cancers. The company leverages proprietary technologies to design synthetic DNA sequences that encode antigens capable of eliciting targeted immune responses. Inovio's business activities span early research through clinical development, with a primary emphasis on advancing candidates against viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, human papillomavirus (HPV), HIV, Ebola, Zika and other emerging threats.

Central to Inovio's platform is its SynCon® technology, which constructs optimized DNA plasmids for broad antigen coverage, and the Cellectra® electroporation device, designed to enhance cellular uptake and expression of DNA vaccines.

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