Russell Investments Group Ltd. Sells 169,966 Shares of BioLife Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLFS)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. trimmed its holdings in BioLife Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLFS - Free Report) by 38.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 272,262 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock after selling 169,966 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.59% of BioLife Solutions worth $7,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BioLife Solutions in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in BioLife Solutions by 41.7% in the fourth quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,295 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in BioLife Solutions by 27.0% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 4,469 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $117,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in BioLife Solutions during the 4th quarter worth about $171,000. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS acquired a new position in BioLife Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at about $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.24% of the company's stock.

BioLife Solutions Trading Down 1.6 %

BLFS stock traded down $0.35 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $21.91. 529,574 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 376,628. BioLife Solutions, Inc. has a one year low of $14.84 and a one year high of $29.55. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $24.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $25.27. The company has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of -20.67 and a beta of 1.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.78 and a current ratio of 2.78.

BioLife Solutions (NASDAQ:BLFS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 3rd. The medical equipment provider reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by $0.32. BioLife Solutions had a negative return on equity of 6.61% and a negative net margin of 38.98%. The business had revenue of $22.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.73 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.21) EPS. Research analysts predict that BioLife Solutions, Inc. will post -0.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BLFS has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of BioLife Solutions from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Northland Securities lifted their target price on shares of BioLife Solutions from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. HC Wainwright increased their price target on BioLife Solutions from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Benchmark restated a "buy" rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of BioLife Solutions in a research report on Thursday, December 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BioLife Solutions currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $31.17.

Insider Activity at BioLife Solutions

In related news, insider Sarah Aebersold sold 5,771 shares of BioLife Solutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.66, for a total transaction of $130,770.86. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 80,094 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,814,930.04. This trade represents a 6.72 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Troy Wichterman sold 25,687 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.66, for a total value of $582,067.42. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 189,242 shares in the company, valued at $4,288,223.72. The trade was a 11.95 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 72,127 shares of company stock valued at $1,676,533. 2.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About BioLife Solutions

BioLife Solutions, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets bioproduction tools and services for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. The company's products are used in the basic and applied research, and commercial manufacturing of biologic-based therapies.