Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PACB) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Five analysts give PACB a consensus rating of "Hold" (2 Sell, 1 Hold, 1 Buy, 1 Strong Buy) with an average 12‑month price target of $1.6667.
• PacBio beat quarterly EPS estimates (reported ($0.12) vs. est. ($0.19)) but remains deeply unprofitable with a negative net margin (341.47%) and ROE (-326.43%), and analysts forecast about -0.72 EPS for the year.
• Insider selling has been notable—729,711 shares (~$1.16M) sold in the last 90 days and insiders now own 2.5%—while the stock trades around $1.69 with a market cap of ~$510M and a 12‑month range of $0.85–$2.73.

Shares of Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PACB - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1.6667.

Several analysts recently issued reports on PACB shares. Barclays decreased their target price on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $1.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research raised Pacific Biosciences of California from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd.

Pacific Biosciences of California Stock Up 3.7%

PACB stock opened at $1.69 on Friday. Pacific Biosciences of California has a twelve month low of $0.85 and a twelve month high of $2.73. The company has a quick ratio of 4.47, a current ratio of 5.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 120.65. The stock has a market cap of $510.38 million, a P/E ratio of -0.92 and a beta of 2.33. The business's 50-day moving average price is $1.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $1.82.

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.07. Pacific Biosciences of California had a negative return on equity of 326.43% and a negative net margin of 341.47%.The firm had revenue of $44.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $44.60 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Pacific Biosciences of California will post -0.72 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Pacific Biosciences of California

In other Pacific Biosciences of California news, insider Oene Mark Van sold 55,107 shares of Pacific Biosciences of California stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.63, for a total value of $89,824.41. Following the sale, the insider owned 1,742,638 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,840,499.94. The trade was a 3.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Michele Farmer sold 35,215 shares of Pacific Biosciences of California stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.58, for a total value of $55,639.70. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 234,044 shares in the company, valued at approximately $369,789.52. The trade was a 13.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 729,711 shares of company stock valued at $1,161,951. 2.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Pacific Biosciences of California

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PACB. Zacks Investment Management bought a new stake in Pacific Biosciences of California in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California by 891.1% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 22,776 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 20,478 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new position in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000.

Pacific Biosciences of California Company Profile

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc develops, manufactures and sells high-performance DNA sequencing systems for genetic and genomic analysis. The company's proprietary single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology is designed to enable long-read sequencing, offering high accuracy for applications such as de novo genome assembly, transcriptome characterization and structural variation analysis. Pacific Biosciences markets a suite of instruments, including the Sequel and Sequel IIe systems, alongside reagents, consumables and data analysis software to support a range of life science research.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Pacific Biosciences has expanded its global reach by serving academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government research centers across North America, Europe and Asia.

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