Short Interest in Oculis Holding AG (NASDAQ:OCS) Expands By 63.9%

Oculis Holding AG (NASDAQ:OCS) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 623,971 shares, an increase of 63.9% from the February 12th total of 380,803 shares. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 277,382 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Based on an average trading volume of 277,382 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.2 days. Approximately 1.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Oculis in a report on Friday, December 19th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $38.00 target price for the company. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price objective on Oculis from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. HC Wainwright upped their price objective on shares of Oculis from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Oculis from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Lifesci Capital started coverage on shares of Oculis in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $55.00 target price on the stock. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.86.

Oculis Price Performance

OCS traded down $1.66 during trading on Friday, reaching $25.43. 585,449 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 353,309. The company has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.20 and a beta of 0.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a current ratio of 5.96 and a quick ratio of 5.96. Oculis has a 1 year low of $14.00 and a 1 year high of $30.68. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $26.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.82.

Oculis (NASDAQ:OCS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported ($0.51) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.43) by ($0.08). Oculis had a negative return on equity of 62.12% and a negative net margin of 8,173.41%.The business had revenue of $0.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $0.14 million. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Oculis will post -2.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Gildi lifeyrissjodur purchased a new position in shares of Oculis in the 4th quarter worth about $50,250,000. Aberdeen Group plc raised its position in Oculis by 39.4% in the fourth quarter. Aberdeen Group plc now owns 1,746,946 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,887,000 after purchasing an additional 493,827 shares during the period. SR One Capital Management LP raised its position in Oculis by 98.8% in the fourth quarter. SR One Capital Management LP now owns 641,022 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,801,000 after purchasing an additional 318,522 shares during the period. Perceptive Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Oculis during the fourth quarter worth about $9,862,000. Finally, Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its position in shares of Oculis by 152.3% in the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 331,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,617,000 after buying an additional 200,000 shares during the period. 22.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Oculis

Oculis SA (NASDAQ: OCS) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel ophthalmic therapies designed primarily to treat retinal and neuro-ophthalmic diseases. Leveraging its proprietary technology platforms, Oculis aims to deliver therapeutic agents to the back of the eye through topical or nasal administration, potentially offering an alternative to current intravitreal injections. The company’s pipeline includes OCS-01, a topical dexamethasone formulation targeting diabetic macular edema; OCS-05, a neuroprotective candidate for acute optic neuritis and idiopathic intracranial hypertension; and OC-02, a nasal spray formulation of varenicline for dry eye disease.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Oculis operates research and development facilities across Europe and in the United States, with a presence in Cambridge, Massachusetts.