Capricor Therapeutics Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:CAPR)

Key Points

• Unusually heavy options activity: Traders purchased 18,509 CAPR call options, about 190% above the typical volume of 6,379 contracts.
• FDA review extended: The FDA moved deramiocel’s decision date to November 22, 2026, allowing more time to assess additional Phase 3 data. Oppenheimer upgraded the stock to “outperform,” though approval remains uncertain.
• Shares remain highly volatile: CAPR rose 20.4% to $8.19 on exceptionally heavy volume, but the company missed quarterly EPS estimates and faces shareholder litigation alleging misleading disclosures related to deramiocel and its clinical data.

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAPR - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders bought 18,509 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 190% compared to the typical volume of 6,379 call options.

Capricor Therapeutics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Capricor Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA review extended: The FDA moved deramiocel’s PDUFA target action date to November 22, 2026, following Capricor’s submission of additional Phase 3 HOPE-3 data and analyses supporting a refined proposed indication. The extension gives the agency more time to evaluate the application and gives Capricor an opportunity to address outstanding issues. Capricor FDA review extension
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Oppenheimer upgraded CAPR from “market perform” to “outperform,” citing optimism that deramiocel could ultimately be approved. The upgrade provided a bullish counterpoint to the recent concerns surrounding the therapy’s review. Oppenheimer CAPR upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Decision delayed, not rejected: The three-month FDA extension is not an approval or a rejection. It prolongs the regulatory catalyst and may reflect the agency’s need to review new clinical analyses, leaving the timing and probability of approval uncertain. Reuters report on FDA extension
• Negative Sentiment: Securities litigation intensifies: Several law firms are publicizing a shareholder class action covering purchases from December 17, 2025, through July 26, 2026. The complaints allege misleading disclosures involving deramiocel, the HOPE-3 statistical analysis plan, FDA compliance and clinical-data integrity. These are allegations, not established findings, but the litigation adds reputational, financial and regulatory risk. Investors have until September 28, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. Capricor securities lawsuit

Capricor Therapeutics Stock Up 20.4%

Shares of Capricor Therapeutics stock traded up $1.39 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $8.19. 12,925,237 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,880,456. The firm has a market cap of $476.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.34 and a beta of 0.54. Capricor Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $2.96 and a 1 year high of $40.37. The stock's fifty day moving average is $15.93 and its 200 day moving average is $24.72.

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 13th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.70) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.59) by ($0.11). Equities analysts forecast that Capricor Therapeutics will post -1.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Anthony Bergmann sold 24,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.38, for a total transaction of $732,158.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 11,223 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $340,954.74. This trade represents a 68.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders sold a total of 25,000 shares of company stock worth $759,158 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 9.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CAPR. KBC Group NV bought a new position in shares of Capricor Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. ACT Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Capricor Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 5,021.5% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,329 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 3,264 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming increased its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 76.0% during the fourth quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 4,429 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $128,000 after acquiring an additional 1,913 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 12.4% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 5,040 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $146,000 after acquiring an additional 557 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 21.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CAPR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Roth Capital lowered shares of Capricor Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $7.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, July 27th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lowered shares of Capricor Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. HC Wainwright reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Maxim Group downgraded shares of Capricor Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Capricor Therapeutics from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $29.15.

Capricor Therapeutics Company Profile

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of cell and exosome-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and rare diseases. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, the company leverages proprietary cardiosphere-derived cell (CDC) technology to address conditions characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue degeneration. Since its founding, Capricor has advanced its lead candidate through multiple clinical trials and has built a pipeline that spans both cell therapy and extracellular vesicle (exosome) platforms.

The company's leading product candidate, CAP-1002, comprises allogeneic CDCs and is being evaluated in indications such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and COVID-19-related heart injury.

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