Icon Plc (NASDAQ:ICLR – Get Free Report) Director John Dr Climax sold 841 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total transaction of $138,167.89. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,087 shares in the company, valued at $342,873.23. The trade was a 28.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing 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.
Icon Stock Up 0.2%
Shares of NASDAQ ICLR opened at $167.48 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $12.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.31, a PEG ratio of 6.93 and a beta of 1.21. Icon Plc has a 1 year low of $66.57 and a 1 year high of $203.91. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $162.22 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $134.04.
Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The medical research company reported $2.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.01. Icon had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 3.99%.The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.26 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Icon Plc will post 9.57 earnings per share for the current year.
Key Headlines Impacting Icon
- Positive Sentiment: Icon’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations: adjusted EPS was $2.56 versus the $2.55 consensus, while revenue of $2.06 billion topped estimates of $2.00 billion. Revenue also rose 2.3% year over year, indicating continued demand for its outsourced clinical-research services.
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains a potential catalyst. BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $187, Mizuho lifted its target to $190, and William Blair upgraded the stock to “strong buy.” The broader analyst consensus is “Hold,” with an average target of $170.40. Analyst coverage article
- Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership is high at 95.61%, and several investment firms recently initiated or increased positions in ICLR. The stock is also trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting favorable recent momentum.
- Neutral Sentiment: CEO Barry Balfe, CFO Nigel Clerkin and several directors sold shares totaling roughly $1.6 million at prices near $164.07–$164.29. The filings state that the sales were made to cover tax-withholding obligations connected with vested equity awards, and the insiders retained shares afterward, reducing the negative signal. Icon insider sales article
- Negative Sentiment: Although revenue beat estimates, quarterly EPS fell from $3.26 in the prior-year period, highlighting earnings pressure. ICLR also trades at a relatively demanding valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 39 and a PEG ratio above 6, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or guidance weakens.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen increased their target price on Icon from $164.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Icon from a “sector perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $126.00 to $185.00 in a report on Thursday, June 25th. William Blair raised shares of Icon to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Icon from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $145.00 price objective on shares of Icon in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Icon has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.40.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ICLR
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Icon
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. EFG International AG bought a new stake in shares of Icon in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Abound Financial LLC purchased a new position in Icon during the 4th quarter valued at about $54,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Icon by 21.4% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 391 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Icon in the 3rd quarter valued at about $71,000. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in Icon by 207.5% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 658 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 444 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.61% of the company’s stock.
About Icon
Icon plc (NASDAQ: ICLR) is a global provider of outsourced drug development and clinical research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company partners with clients at all stages of the product life cycle, offering expertise in protocol design, trial execution and regulatory compliance across a broad range of therapeutic areas.
Icon’s service portfolio encompasses clinical trial management, data management and biostatistics, medical imaging, pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring, laboratory sciences and specialized analytical solutions.
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