Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) Shares Climb 4.7% Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Pacira BioSciences shares rose 4.7% after Truist Financial raised its price target from $30 to $31 while maintaining a buy rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: four analysts rate the stock a buy, three hold, and two sell, resulting in a consensus “Hold” rating and average price target of $30.29.
• Pacira’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $0.73 versus the $0.65 consensus estimate and revenue of $192.4 million, up 6.2% year over year.

Shares of Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report) traded up 4.7% during trading on Wednesday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $30.00 to $31.00. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. Pacira BioSciences traded as high as $25.70 and last traded at $25.9250. 216,852 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 67% from the average daily volume of 662,612 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.76.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on PCRX. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings lowered Pacira BioSciences from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pacira BioSciences from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 26th. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $32.00 target price for the company. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Pacira BioSciences from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $30.29.

Insider Transactions at Pacira BioSciences

In other Pacira BioSciences news, insider Jonathan Slonin sold 3,040 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $70,619.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 216,384 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,026,600.32. This trade represents a 1.39% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 6.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Pacira BioSciences News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacira BioSciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist Financial raised its price target for Pacira BioSciences from $30 to $31 and initiated or reaffirmed a “buy” rating. The new target implies approximately 21% upside from recent trading levels, signaling confidence in Pacira’s valuation and growth outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: Pacira granted Molteni Farmaceutici exclusive rights to commercialize its EXPAREL postsurgical pain product in the European Union and United Kingdom. The partnership expands EXPAREL’s international reach and could create additional revenue opportunities without requiring Pacira to build its own commercial infrastructure in those markets. Pacira Announces Exclusive Agreement with Molteni Farmaceutici
• Positive Sentiment: The Molteni agreement is also supporting an “undervalued” investment narrative around PCRX, as investors assess the potential for broader EXPAREL adoption and international growth. Pacira BioSciences on Its Molteni Deal and the Undervalued Narrative
• Neutral Sentiment: A survey conducted with Caregiver Action Network found that families want clearer pain-management plans, earlier education, and more practical guidance on non-opioid options before surgery. The findings reinforce Pacira’s focus on non-opioid pain treatment, but the announcement does not include a specific financial outlook or new product approval. Pacira and Caregiver Action Network Survey
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded PCRX from “hold” to “strong sell,” creating a significant counterweight to Truist’s bullish view and potentially increasing volatility. Zacks Downgrades Pacira BioSciences

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pacira BioSciences

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 15.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,751 shares of the company's stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 492 shares during the period. State of Wyoming raised its stake in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 11,155 shares of the company's stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 728 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 10.8% during the first quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 11,746 shares of the company's stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 1,142 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in Pacira BioSciences by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 18,416 shares of the company's stock valued at $479,000 after acquiring an additional 1,316 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Pacira BioSciences in the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,000. 99.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pacira BioSciences Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 3.94 and a current ratio of 5.04. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $25.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $24.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 72.78 and a beta of 0.25.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.65 by $0.08. Pacira BioSciences had a return on equity of 9.68% and a net margin of 1.96%.The company had revenue of $192.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $191.06 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.74 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Pacira BioSciences, Inc. will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

Pacira BioSciences Company Profile

Pacira BioSciences, Inc is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid pain-management products. The company's portfolio is designed to help manage acute and chronic pain while reducing reliance on traditional opioid therapies.

Its principal product is EXPAREL, an extended-release formulation of bupivacaine used to provide postsurgical pain relief. Pacira also markets ZILRETTA, an extended-release corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, and the iovera° system, a handheld cryoanalgesia device intended to temporarily block peripheral nerves and provide targeted pain relief.

Originally known as Pacira Pharmaceuticals, the company adopted the name Pacira BioSciences in 2018 to reflect its broader focus on innovative therapies and technologies.

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