uniQure (NASDAQ:QURE) Shares Down 6.8% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• uniQure shares fell 6.8% to about $39.83, on trading volume well below average. The stock remains volatile, with its 50-day moving average at $44.64 versus a 200-day average of $32.79.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: 14 analysts rate the stock Buy, two Hold, and one Sell, resulting in a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $65.00. Recent targets range from $60 to $75.
• The company continues to face significant financial risks, including a quarterly EPS loss of $1.22 versus an expected loss of $0.82, negative net margins and return on equity. Insiders sold 73,683 shares worth about $3.4 million in the last quarter, though institutional investors own 78.83% of the stock.

uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE - Get Free Report)'s share price fell 6.8% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $40.58 and last traded at $39.8310. Approximately 399,138 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 2,274,288 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.76.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of uniQure from $36.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, June 18th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on uniQure from $60.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays reduced their price target on uniQure from $65.00 to $60.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. William Blair began coverage on uniQure in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut uniQure from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, September 5th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, uniQure presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $65.00.

uniQure Stock Down 11.2%

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $44.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $32.79. The company has a current ratio of 10.01, a quick ratio of 10.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The company has a market capitalization of $2.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.49 and a beta of 0.94.

uniQure (NASDAQ:QURE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.22) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.82) by ($0.40). The firm had revenue of $5.84 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.45 million. uniQure had a negative return on equity of 111.96% and a negative net margin of 1,350.73%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($0.69) EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that uniQure N.V. will post -3.82 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at uniQure

In other news, insider Walid Abi-Saab sold 30,000 shares of uniQure stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.42, for a total value of $1,392,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 148,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,881,068.70. This trade represents a 16.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Matthew Kapusta sold 21,082 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.16, for a total value of $952,063.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 519,227 shares of the company's stock, valued at $23,448,291.32. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 73,683 shares of company stock valued at $3,394,856. 4.65% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of QURE. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of uniQure by 39.8% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,780 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 791 shares in the last quarter. Mraz Amerine & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of uniQure during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $390,000. Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in uniQure by 17.7% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 12,940 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $596,000 after purchasing an additional 1,942 shares in the last quarter. Syon Capital LLC acquired a new position in uniQure during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $279,000. Finally, Seven Fleet Capital Management LP bought a new position in uniQure in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $15,254. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.83% of the company's stock.

uniQure Company Profile

uniQure N.V. is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene therapies for serious and life-threatening diseases. The company uses adeno-associated virus (AAV) technology to deliver genetic material intended to address the underlying causes of disease, with research activities spanning neurological, neuromuscular, metabolic and cardiovascular conditions.

uniQure's pipeline has included AMT-130, an investigational gene therapy for Huntington's disease, as well as programs targeting other conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Fabry disease.

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