Analysts Set QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS) PT at $8.98

Shares of QuantumScape Corporation (NYSE:QS) have received a consensus recommendation of “Reduce” from the nine research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and six have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $8.9750.

Several brokerages have commented on QS. Robert W. Baird set a $12.00 price objective on shares of QuantumScape in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of QuantumScape from $12.00 to $8.50 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of QuantumScape in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. HSBC upgraded shares of QuantumScape from a “reduce” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $10.50 to $8.30 in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “in-line” rating and set a $12.00 price target (up from $8.00) on shares of QuantumScape in a research report on Monday, November 24th.

Key Stories Impacting QuantumScape

Here are the key news stories impacting QuantumScape this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board hire may expand commercialization and defense pathways — QuantumScape appointed Ross Niebergall, a longtime defense R&D and commercialization executive, to its board. This could help open defense-related programs or partnerships and adds experienced technical leadership. Business Wire Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media commentary highlights ongoing execution and macro risks — recent pieces from Forbes and The Motley Fool review longer-term outlook and stress that the company still faces technology scale-up, funding, and EV-market timing risks; these are background narrative items that inform investor expectations but don’t change fundamentals immediately. Forbes Article
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales by senior executives — CTO Timothy Holme disclosed sales totaling roughly 161k shares across filings (multiple trades at about $6.86), reducing his position by ~10.3%; another senior insider, Michael McCarthy III, sold ~75k shares across two trades (~$6.73–$6.90), trimming his stake by ~2.9–4.5%. Significant insider selling often spooks investors about near-term insider confidence. CTO Sale SEC Filing Insider Sale SEC Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus weak — analysts’ average recommendation compiled in recent coverage is “Reduce,” which can pressure sentiment and reduce buyer interest until the company posts stronger execution or clearer funding/volume signals. Brokerage Consensus

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Michael O. Mccarthy III sold 45,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.73, for a total value of $302,850.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 954,219 shares in the company, valued at $6,421,893.87. This represents a 4.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Jeffrey B. Straubel sold 157,171 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.38, for a total value of $1,788,605.98. Following the sale, the director directly owned 266,828 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,036,502.64. This trade represents a 37.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 4,181,572 shares of company stock worth $44,893,020. Corporate insiders own 5.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On QuantumScape

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of QuantumScape in the 1st quarter valued at $321,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in QuantumScape by 50.4% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 21,224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 7,111 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in QuantumScape by 456.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 4,759,334 shares of the company’s stock valued at $19,799,000 after buying an additional 3,904,168 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its holdings in QuantumScape by 7.4% in the second quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 61,065 shares of the company’s stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 4,227 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors purchased a new position in QuantumScape in the second quarter valued at $87,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 29.87% of the company’s stock.

QuantumScape Stock Down 3.3%

QuantumScape stock opened at $6.69 on Friday. QuantumScape has a fifty-two week low of $3.40 and a fifty-two week high of $19.07. The company has a market cap of $4.02 billion, a PE ratio of -8.26 and a beta of 2.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 21.14 and a current ratio of 21.14. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $9.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.36.

QuantumScape (NYSE:QS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported ($0.17) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.16) by ($0.01). During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.22) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that QuantumScape will post -0.82 EPS for the current year.

About QuantumScape

QuantumScape Corporation is a development-stage company specializing in the research and commercialization of next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles. The company’s core technology replaces the traditional liquid electrolyte with a solid ceramic separator, aiming to deliver higher energy density, faster charging times and enhanced safety compared to conventional lithium-ion cells. QuantumScape’s product roadmap focuses on enabling electric vehicle manufacturers to extend driving range and reduce charging downtime, addressing key barriers to widespread EV adoption.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Jose, California, QuantumScape has attracted significant strategic investment and formed partnerships with leading automotive OEMs.