WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) Receives Average Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Fifteen firms rate WAVE Life Sciences a Moderate Buy (1 sell, 13 buy, 1 strong buy) with an average 12‑month price target of about $31.38 and recent targets ranging roughly $13–$35.
• Insider activity: Insiders sold 52,373 shares worth $757,527 in the last quarter (notable sales by Chandra Vargeese and Chris Francis), though insiders still hold 23.98% of the company.
• Financial/stock snapshot: WAVE is unprofitable—reported Q EPS of ($0.30) missed estimates and net margin was -478.35%—the stock trades near $7.09 (market cap ~$1.33B) with a 1‑year range of $5.02–$21.73.

Shares of WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have given a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $31.3750.

WVE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wedbush increased their price target on WAVE Life Sciences from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Leerink Partners reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of WAVE Life Sciences in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on WAVE Life Sciences from $27.00 to $13.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Mizuho increased their price target on WAVE Life Sciences from $22.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, UBS Group set a $32.00 price target on WAVE Life Sciences in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Chandra Vargeese sold 3,228 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total value of $43,416.60. Following the transaction, the insider owned 408,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,490,908.70. This represents a 0.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Chris Francis sold 33,194 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.05, for a total value of $499,569.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 61,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $931,098.35. The trade was a 34.92% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 52,373 shares of company stock worth $757,527. Insiders own 23.98% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 736.5% in the 3rd quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 258,011 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,889,000 after acquiring an additional 227,167 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 33.1% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,569,015 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,199,000 after acquiring an additional 390,078 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased 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 valued at $27,455,000 after acquiring an additional 3,750,140 shares during the last quarter. 683 Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 4.5% in the 2nd quarter. 683 Capital Management LLC now owns 4,100,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,650,000 after acquiring an additional 175,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 77.8% in the 2nd quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 93,370 shares of the company's stock valued at $607,000 after acquiring an additional 40,850 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.73% of the company's stock.

WAVE Life Sciences Price Performance

WVE stock opened at $7.09 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of -5.81 and a beta of -1.32. The business's 50-day moving average is $12.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.25. WAVE Life Sciences has a 1 year low of $5.02 and a 1 year high of $21.73.

WAVE Life Sciences (NASDAQ:WVE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported ($0.30) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.28) by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $17.25 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.68 million. WAVE Life Sciences had a negative net margin of 478.35% and a negative return on equity of 85.69%. On average, analysts expect that WAVE Life Sciences will post -1.14 EPS for the current year.

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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