Arcellx (NASDAQ:ACLX) Sets New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Arcellx, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACLX)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $114.35 and last traded at $114.0480, with a volume of 2400434 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.11.

Key Stories Impacting Arcellx

Here are the key news stories impacting Arcellx this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Gilead agreed to buy Arcellx for $115 per share in cash plus a $5 contingent value right (CVR), valuing the company at about $7.8 billion — a deal that triggered the pre-market rally because it provides a clear, immediate cash exit for ACLX shareholders and validates Arcellx’s Anito‑cel program. Gilead Sciences to Acquire Arcellx to Maximize Long-term Potential of Anito-cel
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic rationale: Gilead is buying Arcellx to strengthen its oncology portfolio and capture the long‑term potential of Anito‑cel, which investors interpret as product and pipeline validation that supports a takeover premium. Gilead Sciences to Buy Arcellx in Deal Valued at $7.8 Billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Deal mechanics: the headline $115 cash + $5 CVR structure is milestone‑linked (CVR pays only if targets are met); closing is subject to customary conditions — meaning final payoff to shareholders depends on future milestones and regulatory approvals. Gilead to acquire cancer therapy developer Arcellx for up to $7.8 billion
• Neutral Sentiment: Market reaction context: multiple outlets report a very large pre-market spike after the announcement; intraday trading has since normalized/pulled back as investors digest the terms and potential timing for closing. Why did ACLX stock surge 80% in pre-market today?
• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder law firm (Halper Sadeh LLC) has opened an investigation into whether the $115 + $5 CVR package is a fair price for Arcellx shareholders, introducing the possibility of litigation or pushback that could complicate or delay the deal. ACLX Stock Alert: Halper Sadeh LLC is Investigating Whether Arcellx, Inc. is Obtaining a Fair Price for its Shareholders
• Negative Sentiment: Pre-deal selling by large holders (Perceptive Advisors sold roughly 1M shares in Q4) and recent competitive/rival drug developments had pressured the stock earlier — factors that could influence shareholder sentiment about the adequacy of the offer. $80 Million Arcellx Sale Follows Steep Stock Drop as Rival Drug Emerges

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ACLX shares. Citigroup reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Arcellx in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $115.00 target price on shares of Arcellx in a research report on Monday. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Arcellx in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Arcellx in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. They issued a “peer perform” rating for the company. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Arcellx in a report on Monday, November 24th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Arcellx has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $111.83.

Arcellx Trading Up 77.6%

The stock has a market cap of $6.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.98 and a beta of 0.36. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $66.98 and a 200-day simple moving average of $74.77.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Christopher Heery sold 7,437 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.51, for a total value of $487,197.87. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 29,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,941,126.81. This trade represents a 20.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 19,450 shares of company stock valued at $1,283,477. Company insiders own 8.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Arcellx

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACLX. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Arcellx by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,560,425 shares of the company’s stock worth $688,540,000 after buying an additional 4,208,069 shares during the period. Paradigm Biocapital Advisors LP raised its position in Arcellx by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. Paradigm Biocapital Advisors LP now owns 5,724,016 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,206,000 after buying an additional 1,075,000 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Arcellx by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 4,081,519 shares of the company’s stock worth $266,115,000 after acquiring an additional 174,432 shares during the period. Vestal Point Capital LP boosted its position in Arcellx by 134.0% during the 4th quarter. Vestal Point Capital LP now owns 2,925,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $190,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,675,000 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in Arcellx by 31.0% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,998,503 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,302,000 after acquiring an additional 472,476 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.03% of the company’s stock.

About Arcellx

Arcellx, Inc (NASDAQ: ACLX) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of next-generation cell therapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases. The company’s proprietary ARC-SparX™ platform is designed to enable precise control over cell-surface receptor activation and to improve the safety, efficacy and durability of adoptive cell therapies. Leveraging this technology, Arcellx engineers immune cells with modular antigen-binding domains that can be exchanged to target a variety of disease-associated markers.

The company’s pipeline comprises multiple wholly owned programs in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors at various stages of preclinical and clinical development.