Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Raymond James Financial

Key Points

• Raymond James upgraded Milestone Pharmaceuticals to a strong-buy, while the consensus among analysts is mixed (1 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 1 Hold, 1 Sell) resulting in an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $7.50.
• Milestone beat EPS estimates in the most recent quarter with ($0.16) vs. ($0.18) expected, but reported a significant revenue shortfall ($1.44M vs. $37.52M expected); the stock trades around $2.02 with a market cap of ~$238M and a 52-week range of $0.71–$3.06.
• Insiders have been net sellers—CEO Joseph Oliveto sold 34,523 shares in January and insiders sold 70,193 shares in the last 90 days—while institutional investors own about 86.18% of the company.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Raymond James Financial to a "strong-buy" rating in a report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms also recently issued reports on MIST. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research downgraded Milestone Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $8.00 price objective on shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Milestone Pharmaceuticals from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Milestone Pharmaceuticals from $4.00 to $8.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Milestone Pharmaceuticals presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $7.50.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

MIST stock opened at $2.02 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 7.96, a current ratio of 8.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Milestone Pharmaceuticals has a 52-week low of $0.71 and a 52-week high of $3.06. The stock's 50 day moving average is $1.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.94. The company has a market capitalization of $237.69 million, a PE ratio of -2.56 and a beta of 0.69.

Milestone Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:MIST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, March 20th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $37.52 million. Analysts predict that Milestone Pharmaceuticals will post -0.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Milestone Pharmaceuticals

In other news, CEO Joseph Oliveto sold 34,523 shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.93, for a total value of $66,629.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 482,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $931,695.92. This trade represents a 6.67% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 70,193 shares of company stock valued at $135,472. 19.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Strategic Family Wealth Counselors L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Sapient Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Eaton Financial Holdings Company LLC acquired a new position in shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals by 200,550.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 16,052 shares of the company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 16,044 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stephenson & Company Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Milestone Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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