Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) Stock Now Rated “Hold” by Wall Street Brokerages

Shares of Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the six research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $10.00.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Emergent Biosolutions to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a research note on Friday, August 21st. They issued an “underweight” rating on the stock. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Emergent Biosolutions in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Emergent Biosolutions from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st.

Emergent Biosolutions Stock Up 1.6%

EBS opened at $7.21 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 2.95 and a current ratio of 5.42. The company has a market capitalization of $369.40 million, a PE ratio of -2.03 and a beta of 2.28. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $6.43 and its 200-day moving average is $8.08. Emergent Biosolutions has a one year low of $4.36 and a one year high of $14.06.

Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.68. The business had revenue of $234.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $177.50 million. Emergent Biosolutions had a positive return on equity of 16.35% and a negative net margin of 22.95%. On average, equities analysts predict that Emergent Biosolutions will post 0.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Emergent Biosolutions

In other Emergent Biosolutions news, Director Donald Degolyer sold 17,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.09, for a total value of $126,202.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 111,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $793,519.89. This represents a 13.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 6.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Emergent Biosolutions

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EBS. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 4.6% during the first quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 42,394 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 1,865 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 17,357 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 2,848 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the 2nd quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in Emergent Biosolutions in the 2nd quarter worth about $44,000. 78.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Emergent Biosolutions

Emergent BioSolutions Inc is a life sciences company that develops, manufactures and supplies medical countermeasures for public health threats. Its portfolio has included products for protection against anthrax and smallpox, as well as treatments and emergency medicines used in overdose response and other acute-care settings.

The company has also provided contract development and manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, supporting activities such as drug substance and product manufacturing, packaging and related commercialization services.