Short Interest in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) Rises By 5.7%

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 18,590,000 shares, an increase of 5.7% from the October 15th total of 17,590,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,160,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 16.0 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CRSP shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. StockNews.com upgraded CRISPR Therapeutics to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, November 7th. Rodman & Renshaw initiated coverage on CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Friday, August 2nd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $90.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $53.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Chardan Capital dropped their price objective on CRISPR Therapeutics from $112.00 to $94.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.94.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Down 0.6 %

CRISPR Therapeutics stock traded down $0.30 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $47.00. The company had a trading volume of 1,019,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,480,850. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $47.88 and its 200-day moving average is $52.02. CRISPR Therapeutics has a fifty-two week low of $43.42 and a fifty-two week high of $91.10.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 5th. The company reported ($1.01) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.42) by $0.41. The company had revenue of $0.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.65 million. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 12.15% and a negative net margin of 118.13%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($1.41) EPS. On average, research analysts predict that CRISPR Therapeutics will post -5.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at CRISPR Therapeutics

In related news, General Counsel James R. Kasinger sold 1,089 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.28, for a total transaction of $50,398.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now owns 62,597 shares in the company, valued at $2,896,989.16. This represents a 1.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 4,293 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.28, for a total transaction of $198,680.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 226,540 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,484,271.20. This represents a 1.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 35,382 shares of company stock valued at $1,917,679 over the last ninety days. 4.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CRISPR Therapeutics

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in CRISPR Therapeutics by 10.1% in the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 5,791 shares of the company’s stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 530 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 2.9% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,636,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $111,564,000 after purchasing an additional 46,148 shares during the period. SR One Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $71,496,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 10.0% during the 1st quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,945 shares of the company’s stock worth $678,000 after acquiring an additional 905 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 42.3% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,462 shares of the company’s stock worth $645,000 after purchasing an additional 2,814 shares during the last quarter. 69.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics is a gene-editing company focused on developing transformative gene-based medicines for serious diseases using its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. CRISPR/Cas9 is a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for precise, directed changes to genomic DNA. CRISPR Therapeutics has established a portfolio of therapeutic programs across a broad range of disease areas including hemoglobinopathies, oncology, regenerative medicine and rare diseases.