Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS) Stock Short Interest Climbs 160.0%

Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRIS) was the target of a large increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 179,462 shares, an increase of 160.0% from the September 15th total of 69,025 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 176,280 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.0 days. Currently, 9.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Curis from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Curis in a report on Friday, July 17th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Curis from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 22nd. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Curis in a research report on Monday, August 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Curis

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Focused Wealth Management Inc acquired a new stake in Curis during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Curis during the second quarter worth $28,000. Flputnam Investment Management Co. purchased a new position in Curis during the second quarter worth $128,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its holdings in shares of Curis by 52.2% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 366,740 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 125,823 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cable Car Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Curis in the second quarter worth $696,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 29.97% of the company’s stock.

Curis Stock Performance

NASDAQ:CRIS traded down $0.03 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $0.64. 127,755 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 190,084. The company has a market cap of $1.34 million, a PE ratio of -0.05 and a beta of 3.11. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $1.54 and its 200 day simple moving average is $6.35. Curis has a 1 year low of $0.61 and a 1 year high of $33.60.

Curis (NASDAQ:CRIS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The biotechnology company reported ($4.02) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($6.95) by $2.93. On average, research analysts expect that Curis will post -15.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Curis Company Profile

Curis, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company’s research programs target biological pathways involved in tumor growth, survival and immune regulation, with the goal of addressing cancers that have limited treatment options.

Curis’ lead investigational product is emavusertib, also known as CA-4948, an oral inhibitor of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4). The compound has been evaluated in clinical studies for hematologic malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as certain solid tumors.