Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSE:PLX) Shares Up 3.4% - Still a Buy?

Shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE:PLX - Get Free Report) shot up 3.4% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $1.53 and last traded at $1.53. 595,311 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the average session volume of 585,289 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.48.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th.

Protalix BioTherapeutics Stock Down 4.7%

The stock has a market capitalization of $112.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.85 and a beta of -0.23. The business's 50-day moving average is $1.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.15.

Protalix BioTherapeutics (NYSE:PLX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.05) EPS for the quarter. Protalix BioTherapeutics had a negative return on equity of 30.89% and a negative net margin of 21.03%. As a group, analysts forecast that Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. will post 0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Protalix BioTherapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Prudential Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at $68,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics by 17.0% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,118,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,102,000 after buying an additional 162,100 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Protalix BioTherapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at $192,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in Protalix BioTherapeutics by 1,299.4% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 731,742 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,376,000 after purchasing an additional 679,451 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC boosted its holdings in Protalix BioTherapeutics by 147.2% in the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 113,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 67,664 shares during the period. 16.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Protalix BioTherapeutics Company Profile

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development, production, and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins based on its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Brazil, Russia, Turkey, and internationally.