X4 Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XFOR) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Key Points

• Unusually high call-option activity: Investors purchased 2,518 call options on X4 Pharmaceuticals, 119% above the typical daily volume of 1,148 contracts.
• Insiders have been selling shares: Company insiders sold 83,779 shares worth approximately $353,387 over the past 90 days, while institutional investors own 72.03% of the stock.
• Mixed but generally positive analyst outlook: XFOR has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $11.25, despite shares falling 3.1% to $3.25 and the company continuing to report losses.

X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:XFOR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 2,518 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 119% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,148 call options.

Insider Activity at X4 Pharmaceuticals

In other news, CFO David Kirske sold 11,767 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.86, for a total value of $33,653.62. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 155,983 shares in the company, valued at approximately $446,111.38. The trade was a 7.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, President John Volpone sold 24,576 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.44, for a total value of $109,117.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 265,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,177,954.20. This trade represents a 8.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 83,779 shares of company stock worth $353,387 in the last 90 days. 1.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of X4 Pharmaceuticals

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its holdings in X4 Pharmaceuticals by 35.8% during the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 14,400 shares of the company's stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 3,800 shares during the period. Pettinga Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in X4 Pharmaceuticals in the 2nd quarter worth about $47,000. SummitTX Capital L.P. purchased a new position in X4 Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter worth $46,000. AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in shares of X4 Pharmaceuticals during the second quarter valued at approximately $107,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP bought a new stake in X4 Pharmaceuticals in the second quarter worth $242,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.03% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

XFOR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on X4 Pharmaceuticals in a report on Friday, July 10th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $11.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of X4 Pharmaceuticals from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (e+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $11.25.

X4 Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 3.1%

XFOR stock traded down $0.10 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $3.25. The stock had a trading volume of 102,141 shares, compared to its average volume of 640,043. The stock has a market capitalization of $322.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.74 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a current ratio of 11.30, a quick ratio of 11.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. X4 Pharmaceuticals has a 1-year low of $2.43 and a 1-year high of $4.83. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.34 and a 200 day moving average of $3.80.

X4 Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:XFOR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.05. The company had revenue of $8.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.42 million. X4 Pharmaceuticals had a negative return on equity of 63.05% and a negative net margin of 568.80%. On average, equities analysts expect that X4 Pharmaceuticals will post -0.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About X4 Pharmaceuticals

X4 Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for rare diseases caused by disorders of the immune system. The company's research centers on the CXCR4 pathway, which plays a role in the movement and function of immune cells.

X4's lead product, XOLREMDI (mavorixafor), is an oral CXCR4 antagonist approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in patients aged 12 and older with WHIM syndrome, a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder.

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