Short Interest in Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:LYEL) Rises By 28.0%

Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:LYEL) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 521,115 shares, an increase of 28.0% from the January 15th total of 407,278 shares. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 85,589 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 85,589 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.1 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Lyell Immunopharma Trading Down 1.8%

Lyell Immunopharma stock traded down $0.46 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $25.38. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 228,821 shares, compared to its average volume of 83,521. The stock has a market cap of $539.07 million, a PE ratio of -1.10 and a beta of -0.14. Lyell Immunopharma has a 52 week low of $7.65 and a 52 week high of $45.00. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $27.86 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.03.

Insider Activity at Lyell Immunopharma

In related news, insider Gary K. Lee sold 1,671 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.39, for a total transaction of $39,084.69. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 16,938 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $396,179.82. This trade represents a 8.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lynn Seely sold 7,455 shares of Lyell Immunopharma stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.39, for a total transaction of $174,372.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 74,266 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,737,081.74. This trade represents a 9.12% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 11,310 shares of company stock worth $264,285 in the last ninety days. 22.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lyell Immunopharma

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Lyell Immunopharma by 773.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 174,279 shares of the company’s stock worth $94,000 after buying an additional 154,327 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Lyell Immunopharma during the 2nd quarter valued at $94,000. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Lyell Immunopharma during the 2nd quarter worth $159,000. BBR Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lyell Immunopharma during the 4th quarter worth $210,000. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new position in Lyell Immunopharma in the 2nd quarter worth about $258,000. Institutional investors own 66.05% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Lyell Immunopharma in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. HC Wainwright upgraded Lyell Immunopharma from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $20.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $45.00.

About Lyell Immunopharma

Lyell Immunopharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation T cell therapies for cancer. Leveraging a proprietary platform that combines cell therapy, gene editing and molecular discovery, Lyell seeks to overcome key barriers in the treatment of solid tumors. The company’s approach centers on engineering T cells to enhance their persistence, functionality and resistance to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

The company’s pipeline includes multiple autologous T cell programs engineered to target tumor-associated antigens in solid malignancies such as melanoma, ovarian and pancreatic cancers.