Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR) Downgraded by Roth Capital to Neutral

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR) was downgraded by investment analysts at Roth Capital from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report issued on Monday. They currently have a $7.00 target price on the biotechnology company’s stock. Roth Capital’s target price would suggest a potential downside of 0.64% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised shares of Capricor Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a report on Monday, June 15th. B. Riley Financial restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a research note on Monday. HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Capricor Therapeutics in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Capricor Therapeutics has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.33.

Capricor Therapeutics Stock Down 64.2%

Shares of Capricor Therapeutics stock traded down $12.65 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $7.04. The company had a trading volume of 28,135,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,493,261. Capricor Therapeutics has a 12-month low of $4.30 and a 12-month high of $40.37. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $25.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $27.48. The stock has a market cap of $407.99 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.04 and a beta of 0.42.

Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.59) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.55) by ($0.04). As a group, analysts expect that Capricor Therapeutics will post -0.49 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Capricor Therapeutics

In related news, CFO Anthony Bergmann sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.70, for a total value of $792,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 8,223 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $260,669.10. This trade represents a 75.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 50,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,551,658. Company insiders own 9.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Capricor Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 122.2% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 5,066 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 2,786 shares during the last quarter. ACT Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Capricor Therapeutics during the fourth quarter worth approximately $43,000. KBC Group NV purchased a new stake in Capricor Therapeutics during the first quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of Capricor Therapeutics by 280.8% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 6,748 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 4,976 shares during the period. Finally, Regal Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Capricor Therapeutics during the 3rd quarter valued at $92,000. 21.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Capricor Therapeutics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Capricor Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Capricor said it provided comments on the FDA briefing materials and remains engaged in the review of its biologics license application for deramiocel, an investigational treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy. The upcoming review still provides an opportunity for the company to address questions about the therapy’s data and risk-benefit profile. Capricor comments on FDA briefing materials
• Neutral Sentiment: B. Riley reaffirmed its “neutral” rating but maintained a $10 price target, indicating potential upside from recently depressed levels while reflecting continued uncertainty around regulatory approval.
• Negative Sentiment: FDA staff reviewers raised concerns that the clinical evidence may not adequately demonstrate deramiocel’s effectiveness for DMD-related cardiomyopathy. The FDA briefing documents were released ahead of the July 29 Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee meeting, increasing uncertainty over approval and the company’s commercial outlook. Reuters FDA briefing report
• Negative Sentiment: STAT News reported that the FDA concluded deramiocel did not meet the objectives of a Phase 3 trial, contradicting Capricor’s earlier claims. That report was cited by law firms announcing investigations into whether Capricor or its executives misrepresented or failed to disclose material information to investors. Holzer and Holzer investor alert
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced securities investigations, potentially adding litigation and reputational risk. Separately, public accusations from Martin Shkreli alleged fraud involving patient data; those allegations are unproven but may further pressure investor sentiment.

Capricor Therapeutics Company Profile

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of cell and exosome-based therapeutics for cardiovascular and rare diseases. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, the company leverages proprietary cardiosphere-derived cell (CDC) technology to address conditions characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and tissue degeneration. Since its founding, Capricor has advanced its lead candidate through multiple clinical trials and has built a pipeline that spans both cell therapy and extracellular vesicle (exosome) platforms.

The company’s leading product candidate, CAP-1002, comprises allogeneic CDCs and is being evaluated in indications such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and COVID-19-related heart injury.