Samarth Kulkarni Sells 60,000 Shares of CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Stock

Key Points

• Samarth Kulkarni sold 60,000 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics on Jan. 22 at an average price of $60.23 for a total of $3,613,800, cutting his position by 30.9% to 134,201 shares (≈$8.08M).
• CRSP shares jumped about 10.8% to $60.66 on high volume, giving the company a $5.78 billion market cap and a 12‑month range of $30.04 to $78.48.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — MarketBeat shows a consensus "Hold" with a $68.35 average target (12 Buy / 8 Hold / 2 Sell), and the company recently reported an EPS loss of $1.17 that beat estimates while revenue missed significantly.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 60,000 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.23, for a total transaction of $3,613,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 134,201 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,082,926.23. This trade represents a 30.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

CRISPR Therapeutics Trading Up 10.8%

NASDAQ:CRSP traded up $5.93 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $60.66. 3,423,606 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,904,723. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.78 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.85 and a beta of 1.70. The firm's fifty day moving average is $54.69 and its 200-day moving average is $58.34. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a 12-month low of $30.04 and a 12-month high of $78.48.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 10th. The company reported ($1.17) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.32) by $0.15. The company had revenue of $0.89 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.74 million. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 21.23% and a negative net margin of 1,273.70%. On average, research analysts expect that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -5.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on CRSP shares. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and issued a $86.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from $78.00 to $93.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, October 17th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on CRISPR Therapeutics from $52.00 to $44.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Chardan Capital lowered their price objective on CRISPR Therapeutics from $82.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 26th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $68.35.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 3,516 shares of the company's stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 24.6% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 916 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 3.0% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 6,541 shares of the company's stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp raised its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp now owns 6,973 shares of the company's stock worth $339,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. boosted its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 71.4% during the 3rd quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 504 shares of the company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.20% of the company's stock.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics AG is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of gene-editing therapies based on the CRISPR/Cas9 platform. The company applies its proprietary technology to modify genes in human cells, aiming to create durable treatments for a range of serious diseases. Its research and development efforts focus on both ex vivo and in vivo applications, enabling targeted correction or disruption of disease-causing genes.

Among its lead programs is CTX001, an ex vivo edited cell therapy designed to treat sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia in collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

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