Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $12.00.

Several brokerages have recently commented on EBS. Weiss Ratings downgraded Emergent Biosolutions from a “sell (d)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Keith Katkin sold 15,481 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.28, for a total transaction of $128,182.68. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 96,294 shares in the company, valued at approximately $797,314.32. The trade was a 13.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Donald W. Degolyer sold 15,481 shares of Emergent Biosolutions stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.40, for a total transaction of $130,040.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 129,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,089,656.40. This represents a 10.66% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 64,925 shares of company stock worth $543,512. Company insiders own 6.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Emergent Biosolutions

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Palumbo Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 143.0% during the 4th quarter. Palumbo Wealth Management LLC now owns 117,121 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $1,448,000 after purchasing an additional 68,925 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the 4th quarter worth about $1,346,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the 1st quarter worth about $546,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Emergent Biosolutions during the fourth quarter valued at about $107,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new position in Emergent Biosolutions during the fourth quarter valued at about $45,000. 78.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Emergent Biosolutions Stock Performance

Shares of EBS stock opened at $7.67 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 4.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. Emergent Biosolutions has a 52 week low of $5.61 and a 52 week high of $14.06. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $8.20 and a 200-day moving average of $9.24. The company has a market cap of $395.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.37 and a beta of 2.34.

Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.25) by $0.46. Emergent Biosolutions had a negative net margin of 1.27% and a positive return on equity of 10.76%. The business had revenue of $156.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $145.00 million.

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.