Cerus Co. (NASDAQ:CERS) Shares Sold by MetLife Investment Management LLC

MetLife Investment Management LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Cerus Co. (NASDAQ:CERS) by 49.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 52,150 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock after selling 50,585 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Cerus were worth $80,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in CERS. Rockport Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Cerus during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Cibc World Markets Corp acquired a new stake in Cerus during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Cerus during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Cerus during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Cerus in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. 78.37% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Cerus Trading Down 5.1 %

CERS opened at $1.29 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Cerus Co. has a 52 week low of $1.12 and a 52 week high of $2.54. The business’s 50 day moving average is $1.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.61. The firm has a market cap of $246.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.73 and a beta of 1.58.

Cerus (NASDAQ:CERS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The biotechnology company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.01. Cerus had a negative net margin of 11.60% and a negative return on equity of 40.55%. The firm had revenue of $43.24 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.44 million. On average, research analysts predict that Cerus Co. will post -0.08 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $4.00 price target on shares of Cerus in a research note on Friday, February 21st.

Insider Transactions at Cerus

In other Cerus news, insider Richard J. Benjamin sold 18,949 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.45, for a total transaction of $27,476.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 715,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,037,982.50. This represents a 2.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO William Mariner Greenman sold 23,023 shares of Cerus stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.55, for a total transaction of $35,685.65. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 3,230,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,006,500. The trade was a 0.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 441,150 shares of company stock worth $665,210. Company insiders own 3.40% of the company’s stock.

Cerus Profile

Cerus Corporation operates as a biomedical products company. The company focuses on developing and commercializing the INTERCEPT Blood System to enhance blood safety. Its INTERCEPT Blood System, a proprietary technology for controlling biological replication that is designed to reduce blood-borne pathogens in donated blood components intended for transfusion.