Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) Issues Earnings Results

Key Points

• Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of ($2.23), missing analysts' estimates by ($1.06).
• The company's market capitalization stands at $4.67 billion, with shares recently trading at $67.45.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for Merus, with target prices ranging from $75.00 to $110.00, while maintaining an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The biotechnology company reported ($2.23) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.17) by ($1.06), Zacks reports. Merus had a negative return on equity of 35.99% and a negative net margin of 506.73%.

Merus Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:MRUS traded up $0.52 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $67.45. 557,324 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 891,228. The company has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a PE ratio of -16.53 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $57.13 and a 200 day moving average of $48.07. Merus has a 52-week low of $33.19 and a 52-week high of $67.59.

Insider Activity

In other Merus news, COO Peter B. Silverman sold 25,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 82,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,586,340 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 4.57% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

An institutional investor recently raised its position in Merus stock. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS - Free Report) by 14.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 112,522 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,778 shares during the quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Merus worth $4,736,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 96.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRUS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Merus in a report on Monday, May 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Merus from $91.00 to $89.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered Merus from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Sunday, July 20th. BMO Capital Markets set a $110.00 target price on Merus and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Merus in a report on Monday, April 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $86.40.

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.

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