Insider Selling: Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) Director Sells 15,481 Shares of Stock

Emergent Biosolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) Director Keith Katkin sold 15,481 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.28, for a total transaction of $128,182.68. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 96,294 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $797,314.32. This represents a 13.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Emergent Biosolutions Stock Performance

Shares of Emergent Biosolutions stock traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $8.51. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 839,196 shares, compared to its average volume of 878,575. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $8.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $10.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 4.29. Emergent Biosolutions Inc. has a one year low of $4.71 and a one year high of $14.06. The stock has a market cap of $439.23 million, a P/E ratio of -30.38 and a beta of 2.33.

Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EBS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.25) by $0.46. Emergent Biosolutions had a negative net margin of 1.27% and a positive return on equity of 10.76%. The company had revenue of $156.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $145.00 million.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Emergent Biosolutions from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. HC Wainwright cut their price objective on shares of Emergent Biosolutions from $15.00 to $12.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Emergent Biosolutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, March 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Emergent Biosolutions currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $12.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Emergent Biosolutions

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Emergent Biosolutions in the second quarter worth about $31,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Emergent Biosolutions during the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co acquired a new stake in shares of Emergent Biosolutions during the fourth quarter worth approximately $45,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Emergent Biosolutions during the second quarter worth approximately $53,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Emergent Biosolutions by 361.3% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,163 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 4,827 shares during the period. 78.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Emergent Biosolutions

Emergent BioSolutions is a global specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing medical countermeasures and specialty products that address public health threats. The company’s portfolio includes vaccines, antibody therapies and critical care products designed to protect against biological, chemical and emerging infectious disease threats. Emergent has longstanding partnerships with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to support national preparedness programs.

Key commercial products in Emergent’s lineup include BioThrax (anthrax vaccine adsorbed), ACAM2000 (smallpox vaccine) and Vaxchora (cholera vaccine), alongside therapeutic treatments such as Anthrasil (anthrax immune globulin) and the naloxone-based nasal spray Narcan for opioid overdose reversal.