CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Director Simeon George Sells 14,514 Shares of Company Stock

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.63, for a total value of $720,329.82. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 15,486 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $768,570.18. This trade represents a 48.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:CRSP traded down $2.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $49.25. 1,517,934 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,713,734. The firm has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 17.85 and a current ratio of 17.85. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a 52-week low of $44.12 and a 52-week high of $75.06. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $54.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $53.21.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) earnings per share for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 24.39% and a negative net margin of 3,368.72%. The company had revenue of $10.18 million during the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 EPS for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting CRISPR Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting CRISPR Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable despite the recent weakness. UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $52 price target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $65.75. CRISPR Therapeutics receives a new analyst rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 69.2%, with several investment managers recently establishing or expanding positions in CRSP. This suggests continued long-term interest in the company’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Institutional investors and CRISPR Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: The new UBS coverage is balanced rather than bullish: its $52 target is only modestly above the recent trading level, indicating that the analyst sees limited near-term upside while investors await additional clinical and commercial progress. UBS coverage of CRISPR Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares worth approximately $720,330, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4%. The sizable discretionary-looking sale may have weighed on sentiment, although he still retains 15,486 shares. CRISPR Therapeutics director share sale
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Samarth Kulkarni and General Counsel James Kasinger also sold shares. Their transactions were relatively small and were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity vesting, reducing the negative signal but adding to the day’s insider-selling headlines. CRISPR Therapeutics insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: CRSP remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and continues to reflect substantial development risk, including recurring losses and limited quarterly revenue. The technical weakness likely amplified the reaction to the insider-sale news. CRSP underperforms the broader market

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CRSP has been the subject of several analyst reports. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CRISPR Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. William Blair raised shares of CRISPR Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CRISPR Therapeutics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $65.75.

Institutional Trading of CRISPR Therapeutics

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 6.1% during the third quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 7,406 shares of the company’s stock worth $410,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the period. AdvisorNet Financial Inc boosted its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 25.5% in the third quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 10,673 shares of the company’s stock valued at $590,000 after acquiring an additional 2,170 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 92.0% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 597 shares during the last quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 1.8% during the third quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 56,786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,141,000 after purchasing an additional 982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 43.6% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 11,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 3,470 shares during the period. 69.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CRISPR Therapeutics

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-editing medicines based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The company aims to treat serious diseases by precisely modifying genetic material in patients’ cells, with research programs spanning hematology, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and regenerative medicine.

Its lead product, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), is a CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy developed with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CASGEVY is approved in multiple markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, for certain patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.