Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS) Research Coverage Started at Craig Hallum

Craig Hallum assumed coverage on shares of Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS - Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $5.00 target price on the biotechnology company's stock.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stephens restated an equal weight rating and set a $2.50 target price on shares of Cerus in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $3.00 target price on shares of Cerus in a report on Wednesday, March 6th.

Cerus Trading Up 3.2 %

Shares of CERS traded up $0.05 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1.75. 2,030,501 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,583,538. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The stock has a market cap of $317.24 million, a P/E ratio of -8.33 and a beta of 1.29. The stock's 50-day moving average is $2.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.84. Cerus has a 12 month low of $1.21 and a 12 month high of $3.08.

Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 5th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $46.77 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $46.80 million. Cerus had a negative return on equity of 67.17% and a negative net margin of 23.98%. Research analysts forecast that Cerus will post -0.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Chrystal Jensen sold 17,460 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.06, for a total transaction of $35,967.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 508,736 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,047,996.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, insider Richard J. Benjamin sold 29,378 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2.40, for a total value of $70,507.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 478,061 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,147,346.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Chrystal Jensen sold 17,460 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.06, for a total value of $35,967.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 508,736 shares in the company, valued at $1,047,996.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 177,516 shares of company stock worth $372,912. Insiders own 7.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cerus

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Algert Global LLC grew its position in Cerus by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 263,790 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $950,000 after purchasing an additional 3,782 shares during the period. Prelude Capital Management LLC grew its position in Cerus by 28.1% during the 3rd quarter. Prelude Capital Management LLC now owns 20,264 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 4,445 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in Cerus by 59.2% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 13,453 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 5,004 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Cerus by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 197,141 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $710,000 after purchasing an additional 5,341 shares during the period. Finally, Bouvel Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Cerus by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Bouvel Investment Partners LLC now owns 257,625 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $556,000 after purchasing an additional 5,778 shares during the period. 78.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cerus

Cerus Corporation operates as a biomedical products company. The company focuses on developing and commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance blood safety. Its INTERCEPT Blood System, a proprietary technology for controlling biological replication that is designed to reduce blood-borne pathogens in donated blood components intended for transfusion.