WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) Given Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Consensus "Moderate Buy": Fifteen analysts cover WAVE with 14 buys and 1 sell, and the average 1‑year price target is $27.88, though several firms have recently trimmed targets (e.g., Wells Fargo to $13, HC Wainwright to $18).
• Quarterly beat: WAVE reported EPS of ($0.13) vs. estimates of ($0.34) and revenue of $38.25M versus $8.45M expected, a sizable upside despite negative margins and return on equity.
• Contrasting ownership signals: Insiders have been selling (52,373 shares worth ~$757K in 90 days), while hedge funds and institutional investors now own ~89.7% of the stock, including large new positions from GSK, Darwin and major increases by Price T. Rowe.

WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and fourteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $27.8750.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on WAVE Life Sciences from $27.00 to $13.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 27th. HC Wainwright decreased their target price on WAVE Life Sciences from $30.00 to $18.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Truist Financial assumed coverage on WAVE Life Sciences in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $15.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded WAVE Life Sciences from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of WAVE Life Sciences in a research note on Monday, April 20th.

WAVE Life Sciences Stock Up 3.7%

WVE stock opened at $7.32 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.41 billion, a PE ratio of -6.91 and a beta of -1.32. WAVE Life Sciences has a twelve month low of $5.02 and a twelve month high of $21.73. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $10.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $11.21.

WAVE Life Sciences (NASDAQ:WVE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The company reported ($0.13) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.34) by $0.21. The business had revenue of $38.25 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.45 million. WAVE Life Sciences had a negative return on equity of 56.76% and a negative net margin of 255.70%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that WAVE Life Sciences will post -1.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other WAVE Life Sciences news, CEO Paul Bolno sold 10,480 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total value of $140,956.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 275,520 shares in the company, valued at $3,705,744. This represents a 3.66% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Kyle Moran sold 3,588 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total value of $48,258.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 134,385 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,807,478.25. The trade was a 2.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 52,373 shares of company stock valued at $757,527 over the last 90 days. 23.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WAVE Life Sciences

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WVE. GSK plc purchased a new position in shares of WAVE Life Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $310,177,000. Darwin Global Management Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of WAVE Life Sciences in the 4th quarter worth about $125,168,000. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 678,144.7% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,750,693 shares of the company's stock worth $27,455,000 after purchasing an additional 3,750,140 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in WAVE Life Sciences by 83.1% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,407,372 shares of the company's stock valued at $125,927,000 after acquiring an additional 3,362,880 shares during the period. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in WAVE Life Sciences by 20.0% during the 2nd quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 15,016,500 shares of the company's stock valued at $97,607,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500,000 shares during the period. 89.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

WAVE Life Sciences Company Profile

WAVE Life Sciences is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company focused on the discovery and development of stereopure oligonucleotide therapies designed to address serious diseases with high unmet medical need. Leveraging proprietary chemistry and precision synthesis, WAVE engineers drug candidates with defined stereochemistry to optimize potency, safety and manufacturability. This approach aims to enhance target specificity and improve therapeutic profiles compared with traditional oligonucleotide medicines.

The company's pipeline includes programs in neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and neurodegenerative conditions including Huntington's disease, as well as early-stage cardiovascular and liver indications.

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