HC Wainwright Cuts Aura Biosciences (NASDAQ:AURA) Price Target to $18.00

Aura Biosciences (NASDAQ:AURA) had its target price trimmed by HC Wainwright from $24.00 to $18.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Aura Biosciences’ Q3 2026 earnings at ($0.37) EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.38) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($1.71) EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at ($0.40) EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at ($0.40) EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at ($0.41) EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at ($0.42) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($1.63) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($1.24) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($0.31) EPS and FY2030 earnings at $0.56 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Leerink Partners set a $17.00 price objective on Aura Biosciences in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Aura Biosciences from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aura Biosciences from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.50.

Aura Biosciences Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:AURA opened at $7.65 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $793.38 million, a P/E ratio of -4.37 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $6.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $6.74. Aura Biosciences has a 52-week low of $4.73 and a 52-week high of $9.53.

Aura Biosciences (NASDAQ:AURA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.48) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.38) by ($0.10). On average, equities analysts forecast that Aura Biosciences will post -1.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Aura Biosciences

In related news, insider Anthony S. Gibney sold 12,824 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $6.42, for a total transaction of $82,330.08. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 265,354 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,703,572.68. This represents a 4.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AURA. Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in shares of Aura Biosciences during the second quarter valued at approximately $289,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of Aura Biosciences during the second quarter valued at $33,424,000. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new stake in shares of Aura Biosciences during the second quarter valued at $297,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Aura Biosciences in the 2nd quarter worth about $842,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Aura Biosciences by 130.4% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 5,665 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 3,206 shares in the last quarter. 96.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Aura Biosciences News

Here are the key news stories impacting Aura Biosciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its earnings forecasts across 2026–2030 and maintained a Buy rating with an $18 price target. The firm now expects smaller losses in FY2026 through FY2029 and projects positive EPS of $0.56 in FY2030, versus its previous estimate of a loss. The revisions suggest improved confidence in Aura’s long-term commercial prospects. HC Wainwright Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Aura Biosciences Stock Price
• Positive Sentiment: Aura is advancing its lead candidate, bel-sar, in ocular oncology. Its Phase 3 CoMpass trial for early choroidal melanoma is fully enrolled, with topline results expected in the second half of 2027. Earlier Phase 2 data showed approximately 80% tumor control and a favorable safety profile. A recent $299 million capital raise is expected to fund operations into 2029, reducing near-term financing risk. Aura Biosciences: Ocular Oncology Firm Under New Management Has a Shot at Approval
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is streamlining the company around its ocular-oncology pipeline. A recent C-suite overhaul and plans to prioritize bel-sar could improve capital efficiency, but execution remains dependent on clinical results and eventual regulatory approval.
• Negative Sentiment: Aura is cutting approximately 20% of its workforce to preserve cash and finance the late-stage trial. While the reduction may extend the company’s runway, it also highlights ongoing losses, the need for cost controls and potential execution risk during a pivotal development period. Cambridge Eye Cancer Biotech Aura Cuts 20% of Staff to Fund Late-Stage Trial
• Negative Sentiment: Aura remains unprofitable. The company recently reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss, and consensus forecasts still call for a loss of approximately $1.73 per share for the current fiscal year. This keeps the stock highly dependent on bel-sar’s clinical and commercial progress.

Aura Biosciences Company Profile

Aura Biosciences is a clinical?stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel virus?like particle (VLP) therapies for the treatment of cancer. By combining proprietary VLP technology with photoactivatable dyes, Aura aims to deliver highly selective photodynamic therapies that target and destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. The company’s platform is designed to address solid tumors in both ophthalmic and non?ophthalmic settings, leveraging precision activation via near?infrared light to induce localized tumor cell apoptosis and stimulate anti?tumor immune responses.

The lead product candidate, AU-011, is being evaluated in patients with choroidal melanoma, a rare but potentially sight-threatening eye cancer.