Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) Cut to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on EBS. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and issued a $15.00 price target on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.00.

Emergent Biosolutions Stock Performance

EBS stock opened at $9.00 on Friday. Emergent Biosolutions has a 1 year low of $4.02 and a 1 year high of $14.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $472.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.71 and a beta of 2.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 2.41 and a current ratio of 5.01. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $11.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.42.

Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.43) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.11 by ($0.54). The firm had revenue of $148.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $217.50 million. Emergent Biosolutions had a return on equity of 15.86% and a net margin of 7.08%. On average, research analysts predict that Emergent Biosolutions will post -0.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Ronald Richard sold 21,984 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.97, for a total transaction of $263,148.48. Following the transaction, the director owned 98,417 shares in the company, valued at $1,178,051.49. This trade represents a 18.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 3.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Emergent Biosolutions

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 68.9% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 2,502,488 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $12,162,000 after buying an additional 1,020,582 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in Emergent Biosolutions by 12.5% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,090,655 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $5,301,000 after acquiring an additional 121,583 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Emergent Biosolutions by 28.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 174,933 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,116,000 after acquiring an additional 38,600 shares during the last quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 400.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 105,000 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $670,000 after purchasing an additional 84,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 986,673 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $6,295,000 after purchasing an additional 55,046 shares in the last quarter. 78.40% of the stock is currently 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.