ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX) Shares Gap Up – Here’s Why

ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $5.52, but opened at $6.54. ImmunityBio shares last traded at $7.1390, with a volume of 63,248,652 shares trading hands.

Key ImmunityBio News

Here are the key news stories impacting ImmunityBio this week:

• Positive Sentiment: FDA discussions gave a clearer path to resubmit an sBLA for ANKTIVA in papillary non‑muscle invasive bladder cancer; ImmunityBio plans additional analyses and a filing soon. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed bullish coverage and raised long‑term outlook (FY2030 EPS estimate to $0.68), signaling rising analyst optimism about the company’s commercial prospects. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent company announcements about clinical results and an expansion plan have been cited in coverage characterizing the move as a strong rally, which has attracted momentum buyers. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑seller pain and a multi‑day rally are amplifying volume and volatility; technical short covering can sustain gains short‑term but doesn’t guarantee fundamentals. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets note the stock’s extended run (reported as a 12‑day advance in some coverage), suggesting momentum trading is a significant component of the move. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company insiders have sold shares recently (director Christobel Selecky and director Barry J. Simon among reported transactions), which investors often view as a caution signal on near‑term risk. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: High‑profile commentators (e.g., Jim Cramer) have advised trimming positions and taking profits, highlighting opinion that the recent run may be speculative. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts warn momentum risks and that regulatory requests could require more data or time than investors expect — a potential downside if the sBLA resubmission is delayed or expanded. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on IBRX shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of ImmunityBio in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of ImmunityBio from $5.00 to $7.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. D. Boral Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of ImmunityBio in a research note on Tuesday. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of ImmunityBio in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of ImmunityBio from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, ImmunityBio currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $12.00.

ImmunityBio Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a PE ratio of -17.90 and a beta of 0.03. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $2.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.55.

ImmunityBio (NASDAQ:IBRX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.10) by $0.03. The business had revenue of $32.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.88 million. On average, analysts anticipate that ImmunityBio, Inc. will post -0.92 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at ImmunityBio

In other news, Director Christobel Selecky sold 50,000 shares of ImmunityBio stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.00, for a total value of $250,000.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry J. Simon sold 151,967 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.20, for a total transaction of $1,094,162.40. Following the sale, the director owned 3,091,604 shares in the company, valued at $22,259,548.80. The trade was a 4.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 226,967 shares of company stock valued at $1,531,912 over the last three months. 69.48% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in IBRX. Slow Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in ImmunityBio during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Truist Financial Corp purchased a new stake in shares of ImmunityBio during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in shares of ImmunityBio in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Diversify Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of ImmunityBio in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Summit X LLC acquired a new stake in ImmunityBio during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 8.58% of the company’s stock.

About ImmunityBio

ImmunityBio, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel immunotherapies for cancer and infectious diseases. The company’s research platform centers on harnessing the power of the human immune system—through engineered T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, cytokine superagonists and viral-vectored vaccines—to target and eliminate diseased cells across a range of indications.

Among its lead assets is Anktiva (formerly known as N-803), an interleukin-15 superagonist designed to stimulate NK and T cell activity.