Key Points
- Director Simeon George sold 14,514 CRISPR Therapeutics shares for approximately $720,330 at an average price of $49.63, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4% to 15,486 shares.
- CRSP shares recently traded near $49.25, below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while the company continues to report losses and limited revenue. Analysts nevertheless maintain a generally favorable outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $65.75.
- Institutional investors own approximately 69.2% of the company, with several major funds recently increasing their positions, reflecting continued interest in CRISPR’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.63, for a total value of $720,329.82. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 15,486 shares in the company, valued at $768,570.18. This represents a 48.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Performance
CRSP stock traded down $2.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $49.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,517,934 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,713,734. The company has a quick ratio of 17.85, a current ratio of 17.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a one year low of $44.12 and a one year high of $75.06. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $54.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $53.21.
CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $10.18 million for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 3,368.72% and a negative return on equity of 24.39%. Research analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 EPS for the current year.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Swiss National Bank raised its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 5.1% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 169,700 shares of the company's stock worth $8,073,000 after buying an additional 8,200 shares in the last quarter. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $7,136,000. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 1.6% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 111,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,153,000 after acquiring an additional 1,777 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 3,999.9% during the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 116,847 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,558,000 after acquiring an additional 113,997 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 29.6% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 101,232 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,816,000 after acquiring an additional 23,109 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.20% of the company's stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reissued a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, August 31st. William Blair upgraded shares of CRISPR Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised CRISPR Therapeutics from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a "market outperform" rating and set a $80.00 price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a "market outperform" rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, CRISPR Therapeutics has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $65.75.
Check Out Our Latest Report on CRISPR Therapeutics
CRISPR Therapeutics News Summary
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
CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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