Hsbc Holdings PLC Sells 16,944 Shares of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS)

Hsbc Holdings PLC cut its holdings in shares of Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) by 47.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 18,727 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock after selling 16,944 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in Emergent BioSolutions were worth $178,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in EBS. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in Emergent BioSolutions by 5,458.5% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,946 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 2,893 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Emergent BioSolutions during the 4th quarter worth approximately $63,000. E Fund Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Emergent BioSolutions in the 4th quarter worth approximately $98,000. Cornercap Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in Emergent BioSolutions in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $115,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its holdings in Emergent BioSolutions by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 15,120 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 3,875 shares during the period. 78.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on EBS. StockNews.com cut Emergent BioSolutions from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Emergent BioSolutions in a report on Tuesday, April 1st.

Emergent BioSolutions Trading Down 10.7%

NYSE:EBS opened at $5.68 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $308.63 million, a P/E ratio of -1.39 and a beta of 2.09. Emergent BioSolutions Inc. has a 1 year low of $4.02 and a 1 year high of $15.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 2.88 and a quick ratio of 1.47. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $5.14 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.90.

Emergent BioSolutions (NYSE:EBS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.22. The business had revenue of $222.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $218.50 million. Emergent BioSolutions had a negative return on equity of 9.91% and a negative net margin of 18.55%. As a group, analysts expect that Emergent BioSolutions Inc. will post -0.63 EPS for the current year.

Emergent BioSolutions declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Monday, March 31st that authorizes the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the biopharmaceutical company to repurchase up to 19% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Emergent BioSolutions news, Director Neal Franklin Fowler sold 35,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $5.83, for a total value of $204,050.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 101,100 shares in the company, valued at $589,413. This represents a 25.72% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Emergent BioSolutions

Emergent BioSolutions Inc, a life sciences company, provides preparedness and response solutions for accidental, deliberate, and naturally occurring public health threats in the United States. The company offers NARCAN Nasal Spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose; Vaxchora vaccine for the prevention of cholera; Vivotif vaccine for oral administration for the prevention of typhoid fever; Anthrasil for the treatment of inhalational anthrax; BioThrax, an anthrax vaccine; CYFENDUS for post-exposure prophylaxis of disease following suspected or confirmed exposure to Bacillus anthracis; and Raxibacumab injection for the treatment and prophylaxis of inhalational anthrax.