Mesoblast (NASDAQ:MESO) Sees Large Volume Increase - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Mesoblast saw unusually strong trading volume on Thursday, with 130,848 shares changing hands, while the stock rose to $19.07 from a previous close of $18.24.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (e+)" rating, and MarketBeat shows an average rating of "Hold" based on a mix of Strong Buy, Hold, and Sell opinions.
• The company has a $2.45 billion market cap and relatively low debt, but it is still unprofitable, with a negative P/E ratio and higher volatility given its 2.08 beta.

Mesoblast Limited (NASDAQ:MESO - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Thursday . 130,848 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the previous session's volume of 227,658 shares.The stock last traded at $19.0650 and had previously closed at $18.24.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Mesoblast in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold".

Mesoblast Stock Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The company has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -67.67 and a beta of 2.08.

Institutional Trading of Mesoblast

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Mesoblast in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its stake in Mesoblast by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,383 shares of the company's stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 558 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Mesoblast by 55.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,831 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Mesoblast in the 4th quarter worth $89,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in Mesoblast in the 3rd quarter valued at about $113,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 1.43% of the company's stock.

Mesoblast Company Profile

Mesoblast Limited is a global leader in allogeneic cellular medicines, focused on developing treatments for inflammatory and immunologic diseases. Founded in 2004 by Dr. Silviu Itescu, the company builds on proprietary mesenchymal lineage cell technology to create off-the-shelf, donor-derived therapies. These therapies are designed to modulate immune responses and promote tissue repair in conditions where existing medical options are limited or ineffective.

The company's most advanced product, Alofisel® (darvadstrocel), has been approved in Europe for the treatment of complex perianal fistulas in adults with Crohn's disease.

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