uniQure (NASDAQ:QURE) Trading Up 10.9% - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Shares rose 10.9% Monday to $17.06 (intraday high $17.49) on light volume (~946,466 shares, down ~70% vs. average), giving the stock a market cap of about $1.12 billion.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but the consensus is a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $42.75, while individual targets and ratings vary widely (examples: Chardan to $31 buy, Goldman Sachs cut target to $9 neutral).
• uniQure reported a quarterly beat (EPS loss $0.56 vs. $0.93 expected and revenue $5.57M vs. $4.84M), markets the approved gene therapy Hemgenix, and has seen recent insider selling (49,396 shares sold in last 90 days).

Shares of uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ:QURE - Get Free Report) were up 10.9% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $17.49 and last traded at $17.06. Approximately 946,466 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 70% from the average daily volume of 3,118,504 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.38.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of uniQure in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Chardan Capital upped their price target on uniQure from $16.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on uniQure from $37.00 to $9.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Mizuho raised uniQure from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price target for the company from $12.00 to $35.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $14.00 price target on uniQure in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.75.

uniQure Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.21 and a beta of 0.75. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $18.53 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 10.43 and a current ratio of 10.43.

uniQure (NASDAQ:QURE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.93) by $0.37. uniQure had a negative return on equity of 174.03% and a negative net margin of 1,236.00%.The firm had revenue of $5.57 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.84 million. On average, analysts forecast that uniQure N.V. will post -3.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Jeannette Potts sold 3,412 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.06, for a total value of $30,912.72. Following the sale, the insider owned 138,483 shares in the company, valued at $1,254,655.98. This represents a 2.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Matthew C. Kapusta sold 14,581 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.06, for a total value of $132,103.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 660,658 shares in the company, valued at $5,985,561.48. The trade was a 2.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 49,396 shares of company stock worth $722,734 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 4.79% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of uniQure

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA purchased a new stake in shares of uniQure in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of uniQure in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in shares of uniQure by 509.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 609 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 509 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in shares of uniQure in the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of uniQure in the 4th quarter worth approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.83% of the company's stock.

About uniQure

uniQure N.V. is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of gene therapies for patients with severe medical needs. Using its proprietary adeno‐associated viral (AAV) vector platform, the company designs single‐dose treatments aimed at addressing the underlying genetic causes of disease rather than solely managing symptoms. Its most advanced program, Hemgenix® (etranacogene dezaparvovec), received regulatory approval in the United States and Europe for adult patients with hemophilia B, marking one of the first gene therapies for a bleeding disorder to reach the market.

Beyond hemophilia B, uniQure's pipeline includes preclinical and clinical-stage candidates targeting rare and debilitating conditions such as aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, Huntington's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

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