Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS) Given Average Rating of "Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS) has received an average rating of "Buy" from thirteen research firms, with a consensus price target of $90.54.
• Insider transactions revealed COO Peter B. Silverman sold 25,000 shares at $60.00 each, totaling $1.5 million, while insiders have sold 48,500 shares over the past ninety days.
• Institutional investors currently own 96.14% of Merus stock, with several companies significantly increasing their stakes in recent quarters.

Merus N.V. (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of "Buy" from the thirteen research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $90.5385.

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Alliance Global Partners assumed coverage on shares of Merus in a research note on Monday, August 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of Merus from $97.00 to $96.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. HC Wainwright raised shares of Merus to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 6th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Merus in a research note on Wednesday, September 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $112.00 price target for the company. Finally, Industrial Alliance Securities set a $90.00 price target on shares of Merus in a research note on Monday, August 25th.

Insider Transactions at Merus

In related news, COO Peter B. Silverman sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $1,500,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 48,500 shares of company stock valued at $2,792,500 over the last ninety days. 3.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merus

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Merus by 2,153.6% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 631 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Merus by 299.0% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 802 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares in the last quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. increased its stake in shares of Merus by 21.9% during the first quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. now owns 1,753 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Merus by 955.3% during the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,794 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,624 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Merus by 15.7% during the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,674 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.14% of the company's stock.

Merus Trading Up 1.2%

Merus stock opened at $68.89 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $66.53 and a 200-day moving average of $54.52. The firm has a market cap of $5.21 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.53 and a beta of 1.19. Merus has a 1-year low of $33.19 and a 1-year high of $70.65.

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($2.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.17) by ($1.06). The firm had revenue of $8.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.77 million. Merus had a negative return on equity of 50.28% and a negative net margin of 685.64%. Research analysts forecast that Merus will post -3.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Merus

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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