Zenas BioPharma (NASDAQ:ZBIO) Trading Up 7.6% Following Insider Buying Activity

Key Points

• Insider buying: Director Fairmount Funds Management LLC purchased 150,000 shares at $20.00 on March 31, boosting their stake to 2,359,025 shares and the stock jumped about 7.6% intraday to $21.91.
• Mixed analyst views: Six analysts rate ZBIO a Buy, one a Hold and two Sell, producing an average MarketBeat rating of Hold and an average price target of $44.14 (notable notes: HC Wainwright $44 Buy; Zacks downgraded to Strong Sell).
• Weak recent earnings: Zenas reported a large quarterly loss of ($4.54) EPS vs. ($1.22) expected, while the company shows strong liquidity (current and quick ratios 5.61) and a market cap of about $1.24 billion.

Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZBIO - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 7.6% during trading on Thursday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The company traded as high as $22.12 and last traded at $21.9120. Approximately 666,115 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 34% from the average daily volume of 1,006,415 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.36.

Specifically, Director Fairmount Funds Management Llc purchased 150,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $20.00 per share, with a total value of $3,000,000.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 2,359,025 shares in the company, valued at $47,180,500. This represents a 6.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on ZBIO shares. HC Wainwright reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $44.00 target price on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a research note on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a report on Friday, March 27th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Zenas BioPharma from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Zenas BioPharma from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. Finally, Wedbush restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $45.00 target price on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Zenas BioPharma presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $44.14.

Zenas BioPharma Trading Up 6.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 5.61 and a quick ratio of 5.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of -2.81 and a beta of -1.94. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $23.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.26.

Zenas BioPharma (NASDAQ:ZBIO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 16th. The company reported ($4.54) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.22) by ($3.32).

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ZBIO. Quarry LP increased its position in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 34.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in Zenas BioPharma during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Zenas BioPharma during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 120.0% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,146 shares of the company's stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 1,716 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC raised its position in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 48.3% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,178 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares in the last quarter.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies in oncology and infectious diseases. The company's proprietary platform integrates structure-guided design, computational modeling and high-throughput screening to address challenging protein-protein interactions. Zenas BioPharma is advancing multiple preclinical and clinical-stage candidates aimed at providing new treatment options where current modalities may be limited by efficacy or safety concerns.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Zenas BioPharma was built to streamline the drug discovery process from target identification through to IND-enabling studies.

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