Oxford Nanopore Technologies (LON:ONT) Sets New 12-Month High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Oxford Nanopore shares hit a new 52-week high of GBX 238.80, rising 5.3% in trading and significantly exceeding the average analyst price target of GBX 198.60.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with five Buy ratings and one Hold rating, although price targets range from GBX 153 to GBX 220 and one firm recently lowered its target.
• The company continues to report weak profitability, including negative earnings per share of GBX 4.90, a negative net margin of 54.66%, and negative return on equity of 35.45%; insiders have nevertheless purchased shares recently.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc (LON:ONT - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as high as GBX 238.80 and last traded at GBX 238.25, with a volume of 3831140 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 220.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Berenberg Bank lowered their price target on Oxford Nanopore Technologies from GBX 220 to GBX 200 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 195 price objective on shares of Oxford Nanopore Technologies in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Peel Hunt restated a "hold" rating and set a GBX 153 target price on shares of Oxford Nanopore Technologies in a research report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Oxford Nanopore Technologies from GBX 190 to GBX 220 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Oxford Nanopore Technologies to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of GBX 198.60.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Trading Up 5.3%

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 157.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 132.75. The firm has a market capitalization of £2.26 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.53 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a current ratio of 3.52, a quick ratio of 6.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.86.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies (LON:ONT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 19th. The company reported GBX (4.90) earnings per share for the quarter. Oxford Nanopore Technologies had a negative return on equity of 35.45% and a negative net margin of 54.66%.

Insider Activity at Oxford Nanopore Technologies

In other news, insider Nick Keher acquired 15,325 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, September 4th. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 162 per share, for a total transaction of £24,826.50. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 15,993 shares of company stock worth $2,572,680. 2.54% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Oxford Nanopore Technologies Company Profile

Oxford Nanopore Technologies' goal is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The Group has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology that is currently used for real-time, high-performance, accessible, and scalable analysis of DNA and RNA. The technology is used in more than 125 countries, to understand the biology of humans, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses and environments as well as to understand diseases such as cancer.

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