CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Stock: Insider Samarth Kulkarni Sells 4,098 Shares

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 4,098 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.26, for a total transaction of $201,867.48. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 259,736 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,794,595.36. The trade was a 1.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of CRSP traded down $2.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $49.25. 1,517,934 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,713,734. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a fifty-two week low of $44.12 and a fifty-two week high of $75.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76. The business’s 50 day moving average is $54.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.21. The company has a current ratio of 17.85, a quick ratio of 17.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $10.18 million during the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 3,368.72% and a negative return on equity of 24.39%. On average, equities analysts expect that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CRSP. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Monday, September 28th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Friday, October 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.75.

Key Headlines Impacting CRISPR Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting CRISPR Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable despite the recent weakness. UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $52 price target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $65.75. CRISPR Therapeutics receives a new analyst rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 69.2%, with several investment managers recently establishing or expanding positions in CRSP. This suggests continued long-term interest in the company’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Institutional investors and CRISPR Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: The new UBS coverage is balanced rather than bullish: its $52 target is only modestly above the recent trading level, indicating that the analyst sees limited near-term upside while investors await additional clinical and commercial progress. UBS coverage of CRISPR Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares worth approximately $720,330, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4%. The sizable discretionary-looking sale may have weighed on sentiment, although he still retains 15,486 shares. CRISPR Therapeutics director share sale
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Samarth Kulkarni and General Counsel James Kasinger also sold shares. Their transactions were relatively small and were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity vesting, reducing the negative signal but adding to the day’s insider-selling headlines. CRISPR Therapeutics insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: CRSP remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and continues to reflect substantial development risk, including recurring losses and limited quarterly revenue. The technical weakness likely amplified the reaction to the insider-sale news. CRSP underperforms the broader market

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 169,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,073,000 after buying an additional 8,200 shares during the period. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics during the first quarter worth $7,136,000. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its holdings in CRISPR Therapeutics by 1.6% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 111,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,153,000 after acquiring an additional 1,777 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 3,999.9% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 116,847 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,558,000 after acquiring an additional 113,997 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in CRISPR Therapeutics by 29.6% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 101,232 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,816,000 after acquiring an additional 23,109 shares in the last quarter. 69.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-editing medicines based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The company aims to treat serious diseases by precisely modifying genetic material in patients’ cells, with research programs spanning hematology, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and regenerative medicine.

Its lead product, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), is a CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy developed with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CASGEVY is approved in multiple markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, for certain patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.