Zacks Research Upgrades Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) to Strong-Buy

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Stephens upped their price target on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.80 to $2.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $2.20.

Pacific Biosciences of California Stock Performance

Shares of PACB stock opened at $1.61 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $2.01 and its 200 day moving average is $1.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $486.08 million, a P/E ratio of -0.87 and a beta of 2.27. Pacific Biosciences of California has a 12 month low of $0.85 and a 12 month high of $2.73. The company has a current ratio of 6.24, a quick ratio of 5.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.88.

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.07. The business had revenue of $44.65 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $44.60 million. Pacific Biosciences of California had a negative net margin of 341.47% and a negative return on equity of 251.75%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Pacific Biosciences of California will post -0.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Pacific Biosciences of California

In other news, insider Christian O. Henry sold 140,874 shares of Pacific Biosciences of California stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.63, for a total transaction of $229,624.62. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 2,673,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,357,805. The trade was a 5.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Oene Mark Van sold 55,107 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.63, for a total transaction of $89,824.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 1,742,638 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,840,499.94. This trade represents a 3.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 707,731 shares of company stock worth $1,128,762 over the last three months. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pacific Biosciences of California

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PACB. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California by 29.5% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,433,011 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $2,680,000 after purchasing an additional 326,238 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its position in Pacific Biosciences of California by 47.9% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 20,663 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 6,695 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd lifted its position in Pacific Biosciences of California by 5,001.3% in the 4th quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 628,222 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $1,175,000 after buying an additional 615,907 shares during the last quarter. Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new stake in Pacific Biosciences of California in the fourth quarter worth approximately $70,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new position in Pacific Biosciences of California during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $40,000.

More Pacific Biosciences of California News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacific Biosciences of California this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Genomics sector tailwind — Zacks published a roundup arguing genomics and synthetic-biology stocks deserve portfolio consideration in 2026, supporting longer‑term demand for sequencing platforms like PacBio’s systems. Genomics Stocks That Deserve a Place in Your Portfolio in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional accumulation — Large funds (ARK, Millennium, Renaissance, Casdin) materially increased or initiated PACB positions in recent quarters, which can provide liquidity support and signal conviction from some professional investors. MarketBeat PACB institutional holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor event — PacBio will present at the TD Cowen Health Care Conference on March 2; management commentary there could provide updated commercialization or adoption metrics but nothing material has been released yet. PacBio at TD Cowen Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix — Recent notes show modest price‑target upgrades to ~$2.00 from some shops while consensus remains “Hold” with an average PT ~ $2.20; mixed coverage limits a catalytic analyst push. PACB analyst coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Director/insider Christian O. Henry sold ~472,667 shares across Feb. 17–18 (~$753k proceeds). High‑profile insider sales at this scale often pressure the stock. Christian O. Henry Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider exits — Oene Mark Van sold ~184,897 shares (Feb. 17–18) and Michele Farmer sold ~50,167 shares (Feb. 17–18); the combined insider reductions may amplify negative sentiment short‑term. Oene Mark Van Form 4 Michele Farmer Form 4

Pacific Biosciences of California Company Profile

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc develops, manufactures and sells high-performance DNA sequencing systems for genetic and genomic analysis. The company’s proprietary single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology is designed to enable long-read sequencing, offering high accuracy for applications such as de novo genome assembly, transcriptome characterization and structural variation analysis. Pacific Biosciences markets a suite of instruments, including the Sequel and Sequel IIe systems, alongside reagents, consumables and data analysis software to support a range of life science research.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Pacific Biosciences has expanded its global reach by serving academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government research centers across North America, Europe and Asia.