Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) Trading Down 7.4% – Should You Sell?

Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS)’s stock price fell 7.4% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $11.68 and last traded at $11.61. 125,997 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 85% from the average session volume of 866,333 shares. The stock had previously closed at $12.54.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on EBS. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a research note on Monday, December 29th. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price target on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Emergent Biosolutions from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 30th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Emergent Biosolutions to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.00.

Emergent Biosolutions Stock Down 8.6%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 3.15 and a current ratio of 5.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $602.04 million, a P/E ratio of 8.80 and a beta of 2.30. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.65 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.49.

Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.12) by $1.18. Emergent Biosolutions had a net margin of 9.62% and a return on equity of 20.85%. The firm had revenue of $231.10 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $203.67 million. Research analysts forecast that Emergent Biosolutions Inc. will post -0.63 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Emergent Biosolutions news, Director Ronald Richard sold 21,984 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.97, for a total value of $263,148.48. Following the transaction, the director owned 98,417 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,178,051.49. This trade represents a 18.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Emergent Biosolutions

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in Emergent Biosolutions in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Emergent Biosolutions in the second quarter worth about $35,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the second quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new position in Emergent Biosolutions during the 2nd quarter valued at $68,000. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new position in Emergent Biosolutions during the second quarter valued at about $71,000. 78.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Emergent Biosolutions

Emergent BioSolutions is a global specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing medical countermeasures and specialty products that address public health threats. The company’s portfolio includes vaccines, antibody therapies and critical care products designed to protect against biological, chemical and emerging infectious disease threats. Emergent has longstanding partnerships with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to support national preparedness programs.

Key commercial products in Emergent’s lineup include BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed), ACAM2000 (smallpox vaccine) and Vaxchora (cholera vaccine), alongside therapeutic treatments such as Anthrasil (anthrax immune globulin) and the naloxone-based nasal spray Narcan for opioid overdose reversal.