Wall Street Zen Downgrades aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR) to Sell

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded aTyr Pharma from hold to sell, though Jefferies recently reaffirmed a buy rating. Overall, the stock’s consensus analyst view remains hold with a target price of $25.67.
• aTyr Pharma shares rose 2.7% to open at $0.95, giving the company a market cap of about $92.8 million. The stock remains far below its 52-week high of $7.29 and above its 52-week low of $0.64.
• The company reported a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss of ($0.14) per share, beating estimates by $0.04. Analysts expect aTyr Pharma to post -0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of aTyr Pharma in a report on Friday, March 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, aTyr Pharma presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $25.67.

aTyr Pharma Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of ATYR opened at $0.95 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $92.79 million, a PE ratio of -1.20 and a beta of 0.66. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $0.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.82. aTyr Pharma has a 12-month low of $0.64 and a 12-month high of $7.29.

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 5th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.18) by $0.04. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that aTyr Pharma will post -0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On aTyr Pharma

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ATYR. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of aTyr Pharma by 334.5% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,599,041 shares of the company's stock worth $4,829,000 after purchasing an additional 1,231,052 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of aTyr Pharma by 46.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 382,317 shares of the company's stock worth $1,155,000 after purchasing an additional 120,496 shares during the period. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in shares of aTyr Pharma during the second quarter worth $74,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of aTyr Pharma during the second quarter worth $208,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in aTyr Pharma in the second quarter valued at $49,000. 61.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

aTyr Pharma Company Profile

aTyr Pharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein-based therapies that modulate the extracellular matrix and immune pathways. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company applies its proprietary Extracellular Modulation® platform to identify and optimize biologic candidates for the treatment of rare and serious diseases, including pulmonary sarcoidosis, muscular dystrophy, and solid tumors.

The company's research efforts are centered on harnessing extracellular proteins to regulate tissue remodeling, cell adhesion, and immune signaling.

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