Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Boosts Stock Holdings in OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPK)

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in shares of OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPK) by 1,509.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 144,928 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after purchasing an additional 135,924 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in OPKO Health were worth $232,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new position in OPKO Health during the second quarter worth about $36,000. River Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in OPKO Health during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC acquired a new position in OPKO Health during the first quarter worth about $38,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in OPKO Health during the first quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, HRT Financial LP acquired a new position in OPKO Health during the first quarter worth about $39,000. 64.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

OPKO Health Stock Up 5.9 %

OPK stock opened at $1.07 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $0.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $745.78 million, a PE ratio of -4.28 and a beta of 1.80. OPKO Health, Inc. has a 12 month low of $0.85 and a 12 month high of $2.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 1.22.

OPKO Health (NASDAQ:OPK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.09). OPKO Health had a negative net margin of 21.76% and a negative return on equity of 12.69%. The firm had revenue of $181.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $177.53 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned ($0.11) earnings per share. OPKO Health’s revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that OPKO Health, Inc. will post -0.33 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on OPK shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of OPKO Health from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $3.00 price target on shares of OPKO Health in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Barrington Research lowered their price target on shares of OPKO Health from $2.00 to $1.50 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Vice Chairman Elias A. Zerhouni bought 550,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $0.93 per share, for a total transaction of $511,779.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 20,327,814 shares in the company, valued at $18,904,867.02. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Vice Chairman Elias A. Zerhouni purchased 550,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $0.93 per share, with a total value of $511,779.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider now directly owns 20,327,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,904,867.02. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Phillip Md Et Al Frost purchased 500,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $0.87 per share, for a total transaction of $435,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 210,968,225 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $183,542,355.75. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 8,993,015 shares of company stock worth $8,479,069. 47.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

OPKO Health Profile

OPKO Health, Inc, a healthcare company, engages in the diagnostics and pharmaceuticals businesses in the United States, Ireland, Chile, Spain, Israel, Mexico, and internationally. The company's Diagnostics segment operates BioReference Laboratories that offers laboratory testing services for the detection, diagnosis, evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of diseases, including esoteric testing, molecular diagnostics, anatomical pathology, genetics, women's health, and correctional healthcare to physician offices, clinics, hospitals, employers, and governmental units; and 4Kscore prostate cancer test.