Insider Selling: Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ:TWST) CEO Sells $919,378.20 in Stock

October 8, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

CEO Emily Leproust sold $919,378 worth of Twist Bioscience stock, unloading 4,548 shares at an average price of $202.15 under a prearranged Rule 10b5-1 plan. She retained 562,760 shares after the transaction.
Twist reported record quarterly revenue of $118.4 million, up 23% year over year and above analyst estimates, but missed on adjusted earnings and remains unprofitable.
Investor sentiment is mixed: analysts cite strong business momentum and Lilly partnership potential, while concerns include insider selling, the company’s elevated valuation, ongoing losses and dilution from a $300 million stock offering.

Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST - Get Free Report) CEO Emily Leproust sold 4,548 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.15, for a total transaction of $919,378.20. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 562,760 shares in the company, valued at $113,761,934. This trade represents a 0.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Twist Bioscience Trading Down 6.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:TWST opened at $155.65 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $141.74 and a 200-day moving average of $95.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market cap of $9.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -70.11 and a beta of 2.19. Twist Bioscience Corporation has a twelve month low of $23.30 and a twelve month high of $219.71.

Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ:TWST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 3rd. The company reported ($0.56) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.51) by ($0.05). Twist Bioscience had a negative net margin of 31.66% and a negative return on equity of 28.64%. The company had revenue of $118.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $114.55 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.33 EPS. Twist Bioscience's revenue was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Twist Bioscience Corporation will post -2.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Twist Bioscience News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Twist Bioscience this week:

Positive Sentiment: Recent business momentum remains intact: Twist’s latest quarterly update included record revenue of $118.4 million, revenue growth of 23% year over year, gross margin above 52%, and higher full-year revenue guidance. Revenue also exceeded analyst expectations, although the company remained loss-making.
Positive Sentiment: Lilly collaboration initially boosted enthusiasm: News of the Lilly TuneLab partnership helped drive a substantial rally, reflecting investor interest in Twist’s synthetic-DNA platform and potential drug-discovery applications. However, the durability and strategic value of the collaboration are now being debated.
Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive: Guggenheim reportedly raised its price target to $212 and maintained a buy rating, while broader analyst coverage still reflects a “Moderate Buy” consensus. Twist Bioscience stock gained after Lilly deal
Neutral Sentiment: Insider transactions were largely prearranged: CEO Emily Leproust sold shares under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, including stock used for tax withholding, while other executives also reported sales. These transactions do not necessarily indicate discretionary bearish views, but the concentration of selling has attracted investor attention. SEC insider transaction filing
Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and valuation pressure: Recent filings showed sales by Leproust and other insiders, while reported insider activity over the past six months contained sales but no purchases. With TWST trading far above many older analyst targets and still posting losses, the filings encouraged profit-taking after the stock’s major run-up.
Negative Sentiment: Partnership skepticism and dilution concerns: Analysts questioning the eventual strategic payoff from the Lilly deal weakened the bullish narrative. Investors are also mindful of Twist’s $300 million August stock offering, which increased potential dilution.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Twist Bioscience

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB bought a new stake in shares of Twist Bioscience during the 2nd quarter worth $853,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Twist Bioscience during the first quarter worth $22,563,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Twist Bioscience by 46.3% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 584,261 shares of the company's stock worth $27,764,000 after purchasing an additional 184,907 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Twist Bioscience during the second quarter valued at $223,722,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Twist Bioscience during the second quarter valued at $8,215,000.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on TWST shares. UBS Group assumed coverage on Twist Bioscience in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $144.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Twist Bioscience in a report on Monday, September 21st. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Twist Bioscience from $112.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Twist Bioscience from $113.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Leerink Partners raised their price objective on shares of Twist Bioscience from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 29th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $128.17.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on TWST

Twist Bioscience Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ:TWST) is a biotechnology company that develops and manufactures synthetic DNA using a silicon-based production platform. Its technology is designed to enable the precise, high-throughput synthesis of DNA at smaller scale and with potentially lower material consumption than traditional methods.

The company provides synthetic DNA products and services for applications in drug discovery and development, biotechnology research, agriculture, industrial chemicals and other life sciences markets.