CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) CEO Sells $201,867.48 in Stock

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 4,098 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.26, for a total transaction of $201,867.48. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 259,736 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,794,595.36. This represents a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

CRISPR Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ CRSP opened at $49.25 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $54.99 and its 200-day moving average is $53.21. The company has a quick ratio of 17.85, a current ratio of 17.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a 12-month low of $44.12 and a 12-month high of $75.06.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $10.18 million for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative return on equity of 24.39% and a negative net margin of 3,368.72%. Equities research analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 175.1% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 465 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in CRISPR Therapeutics in the second quarter valued at $56,000. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 249.9% in the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 1,312 shares of the company’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 92.0% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 597 shares during the period. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 184.2% in the 2nd quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 1,637 shares of the company’s stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 1,061 shares during the period. 69.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on CRSP. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday. They set a “neutral” rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. William Blair raised CRISPR Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $55.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $65.75.

More CRISPR Therapeutics News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable despite the recent weakness. UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $52 price target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $65.75. CRISPR Therapeutics receives a new analyst rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 69.2%, with several investment managers recently establishing or expanding positions in CRSP. This suggests continued long-term interest in the company’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Institutional investors and CRISPR Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: The new UBS coverage is balanced rather than bullish: its $52 target is only modestly above the recent trading level, indicating that the analyst sees limited near-term upside while investors await additional clinical and commercial progress. UBS coverage of CRISPR Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares worth approximately $720,330, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4%. The sizable discretionary-looking sale may have weighed on sentiment, although he still retains 15,486 shares. CRISPR Therapeutics director share sale
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Samarth Kulkarni and General Counsel James Kasinger also sold shares. Their transactions were relatively small and were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity vesting, reducing the negative signal but adding to the day’s insider-selling headlines. CRISPR Therapeutics insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: CRSP remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and continues to reflect substantial development risk, including recurring losses and limited quarterly revenue. The technical weakness likely amplified the reaction to the insider-sale news. CRSP underperforms the broader market

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-editing medicines based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The company aims to treat serious diseases by precisely modifying genetic material in patients’ cells, with research programs spanning hematology, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and regenerative medicine.

Its lead product, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), is a CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy developed with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CASGEVY is approved in multiple markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, for certain patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.