Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) Director Linda Grais Sells 841 Shares of Stock

Icon Plc (NASDAQ:ICLR) Director Linda Grais sold 841 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total transaction of $138,167.89. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,162 shares in the company, valued at $1,012,354.98. The trade was a 12.01% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Icon Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ:ICLR opened at $167.17 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. Icon Plc has a 52-week low of $66.57 and a 52-week high of $203.91. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $161.93 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $134.18. The firm has a market cap of $12.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.24, a PEG ratio of 6.86 and a beta of 1.21.

Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The medical research company reported $2.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.01. Icon had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 3.99%.The company had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.26 earnings per share. Icon’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Icon Plc will post 9.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Icon

Here are the key news stories impacting Icon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Icon’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations. Adjusted EPS was $2.56 versus the $2.55 consensus, while revenue reached $2.06 billion, above the $2.00 billion estimate. Revenue increased 2.3% year over year, providing evidence of continued demand for its outsourced clinical-research services.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment includes several bullish targets. BMO Capital Markets raised its target to $187 and Mizuho increased its target to $190, while William Blair upgraded the stock to “strong buy.” The broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average target of $170.40. Analyst coverage article
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling was widespread but appears largely administrative: CEO Barry Balfe sold 382 shares for about $62,675, CFO Nigel Clerkin sold 2,267 shares for approximately $372,445, and several directors also sold shares. The SEC filings state that the transactions were made to cover tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards. Executives and directors retained shares afterward. Icon CFO insider sale
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares, indicating no measurable short-selling pressure or potential short-covering catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the quarterly revenue beat, EPS declined from $3.26 in the comparable prior-year period. ICLR also trades at a relatively high valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 39 and a PEG ratio above 6, leaving the stock sensitive to any slowdown in growth or weaker guidance.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Icon in a report on Friday, May 29th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Icon from $164.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Icon from $125.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 price objective (up from $207.00) on shares of Icon in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, William Blair raised Icon to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.40.

Institutional Trading of Icon

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. EFG International AG bought a new position in shares of Icon during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Icon in the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Icon by 21.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 391 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $68,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Icon during the third quarter valued at about $71,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Icon by 207.5% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 658 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. 95.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Icon

Icon plc (NASDAQ: ICLR) is a global provider of outsourced drug development and clinical research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company partners with clients at all stages of the product life cycle, offering expertise in protocol design, trial execution and regulatory compliance across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

Icon’s service portfolio encompasses clinical trial management, data management and biostatistics, medical imaging, pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring, laboratory sciences and specialized analytical solutions.