aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR) Shares Down 9.6% – Here’s Why

Shares of aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYR) dropped 9.6% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $0.3820 and last traded at $0.3886. Approximately 1,723,890 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 170% from the average session volume of 638,822 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.4298.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Freedom Capital upgraded aTyr Pharma from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of aTyr Pharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, July 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised aTyr Pharma from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

aTyr Pharma Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $37.76 million, a PE ratio of -0.62 and a beta of 0.53. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $0.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.63.

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 7th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.12) by $0.01. The business had revenue of $189.56 million for the quarter. On average, equities analysts predict that aTyr Pharma, Inc. will post -0.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On aTyr Pharma

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new position in aTyr Pharma in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in aTyr Pharma by 139.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 303,559 shares of the company’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 176,859 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP raised its position in shares of aTyr Pharma by 272.2% during the 4th quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 2,630,638 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,060,000 after purchasing an additional 1,923,907 shares during the last quarter. 61.72% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About aTyr Pharma

aTyr Pharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein-based therapies that modulate the extracellular matrix and immune pathways. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company applies its proprietary Extracellular Modulation® platform to identify and optimize biologic candidates for the treatment of rare and serious diseases, including pulmonary sarcoidosis, muscular dystrophy, and solid tumors.

The company’s research efforts are centered on harnessing extracellular proteins to regulate tissue remodeling, cell adhesion, and immune signaling.