Short Interest in Oculis Holding AG (NASDAQ:OCS) Expands By 63.9%

Oculis Holding AG (NASDAQ:OCS) was the target of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 623,971 shares, a growth of 63.9% from the February 12th total of 380,803 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 277,382 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 277,382 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

OCS has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut Oculis from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 7th. HC Wainwright lifted their price target on shares of Oculis from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Oculis in a report on Friday, December 19th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Oculis in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on shares of Oculis from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.86.

Oculis Trading Down 6.1%

Shares of OCS stock opened at $25.43 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a P/E ratio of -11.20 and a beta of 0.29. Oculis has a 1 year low of $14.00 and a 1 year high of $30.68. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $26.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.91. The company has a current ratio of 5.96, a quick ratio of 5.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01.

Oculis (NASDAQ:OCS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported ($0.51) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.43) by ($0.08). Oculis had a negative net margin of 8,173.41% and a negative return on equity of 62.12%. The company had revenue of $0.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.14 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Oculis will post -2.09 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Oculis

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in OCS. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Oculis by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Oculis during the 4th quarter worth approximately $80,000. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Oculis during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Bosun Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oculis in the second quarter valued at $378,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new position in shares of Oculis in the second quarter valued at $393,000. 22.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Oculis

Oculis SA (NASDAQ: OCS) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel ophthalmic therapies designed primarily to treat retinal and neuro-ophthalmic diseases. Leveraging its proprietary technology platforms, Oculis aims to deliver therapeutic agents to the back of the eye through topical or nasal administration, potentially offering an alternative to current intravitreal injections. The company’s pipeline includes OCS-01, a topical dexamethasone formulation targeting diabetic macular edema; OCS-05, a neuroprotective candidate for acute optic neuritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension; and OC-02, a nasal spray formulation of varenicline for dry eye disease.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Oculis operates research and development facilities across Europe and in the United States, with a presence in Cambridge, Massachusetts.