Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) Shares Down 6.9% – Time to Sell?

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (NASDAQ:PACB – Get Free Report) traded down 6.9% during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $2.56 and last traded at $2.5150. 2,565,306 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 67% from the average daily volume of 7,680,212 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.70.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $1.35 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $1.71.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on PACB

Pacific Biosciences of California Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $1.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $1.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $837.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.27 and a beta of 2.19.

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 3rd. The biotechnology company reported ($0.14) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by ($0.01). Pacific Biosciences of California had a negative net margin of 82.49% and a negative return on equity of 5,752.12%. The firm had revenue of $39.01 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.90 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. will post -0.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Mark Van Oene sold 26,911 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.13, for a total transaction of $30,409.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 2,705,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,057,613.89. The trade was a 0.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 3.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pacific Biosciences of California

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PACB. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California during the second quarter worth approximately $54,330,000. Casdin Capital LLC increased its position in Pacific Biosciences of California by 483.6% during the 4th quarter. Casdin Capital LLC now owns 4,223,767 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $7,898,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500,000 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Pacific Biosciences of California during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,265,000. Hhlr Advisors LTD. acquired a new position in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in the second quarter worth about $1,544,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Pacific Biosciences of California during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $1,290,000.

Pacific Biosciences of California Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc develops and sells advanced genetic sequencing technologies. The company’s platform is based on single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing, which is designed to produce highly accurate, long DNA reads. These reads can help researchers identify genetic variation, assemble genomes, and analyze complex biological systems that may be difficult to study using short-read sequencing methods.

PacBio’s product portfolio includes the Revio and Sequel IIe sequencing systems, SMRT Cells and other consumables, library-preparation products, and software for instrument operation, data analysis, and interpretation.

Further Reading

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