Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Hold" Rating

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Milestone Pharmaceuticals from sell to hold, while the broader analyst consensus remains Moderate Buy with an average price target of $7.50.
• The stock was up 1.6% and opened at $1.92, below the average analyst target and near its 200-day moving average of $1.93; the company has a market cap of about $229.7 million.
• Milestone reported a smaller-than-expected loss of ($0.16) per share, but revenue of $1.44 million fell far short of estimates. CEO Joseph Oliveto also sold 36,500 shares in a pre-arranged trading plan.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also weighed in on MIST. Raymond James Financial started coverage on shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, April 10th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $6.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $7.50.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 1.6%

MIST opened at $1.92 on Friday. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $1.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 7.96 and a current ratio of 8.01. Milestone Pharmaceuticals has a twelve month low of $1.00 and a twelve month high of $3.06. The firm has a market cap of $229.71 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.43 and a beta of 1.04.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, March 20th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $37.52 million. Equities research analysts anticipate that Milestone Pharmaceuticals will post -0.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Milestone Pharmaceuticals news, CEO Joseph Oliveto sold 36,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.26, for a total transaction of $82,490.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 446,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,008,511.44. This represents a 7.56% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 19.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Milestone Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MIST. Strategic Family Wealth Counselors L.L.C. bought a new stake in Milestone Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC bought a new stake in Milestone Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Welch & Forbes LLC bought a new stake in Milestone Pharmaceuticals during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Milestone Pharmaceuticals by 200,550.0% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 16,052 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 16,044 shares during the period. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in Milestone Pharmaceuticals during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Institutional investors own 86.18% of the company's stock.

About Milestone Pharmaceuticals

Milestone Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies for respiratory diseases. The company's research emphasizes both biologic and small-molecule approaches designed to improve mucociliary clearance, reduce airway inflammation and address chronic and refractory cough. Milestone's pipeline targets key underserved conditions such as cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia and severe asthma.

Milestone's lead product candidates are delivered through inhalation or systemic administration, reflecting the company's commitment to optimizing therapeutic delivery directly to the lungs.

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