OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Acquires 18,678 Shares of Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX)

OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLRX) by 22.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 103,563 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 18,678 shares during the quarter. OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC’s holdings in Pliant Therapeutics were worth $1,364,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of PLRX. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 12,903 shares of the company’s stock worth $170,000 after purchasing an additional 1,209 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in Pliant Therapeutics by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 95,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,260,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc increased its position in Pliant Therapeutics by 18.1% during the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 11,821 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,000 after acquiring an additional 1,812 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 459,384 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,050,000 after acquiring an additional 2,721 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.30% of the company’s stock.

Pliant Therapeutics Trading Down 6.1%

PLRX opened at $1.38 on Wednesday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $1.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $7.67. The company has a market capitalization of $84.71 million, a P/E ratio of -0.41 and a beta of 1.43. Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $1.10 and a 52 week high of $16.52. The company has a quick ratio of 10.26, a current ratio of 10.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 3rd. The company reported ($0.82) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.99) by $0.17. Analysts forecast that Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Pliant Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Pliant Therapeutics from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $4.00 target price (down previously from $43.00) on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Pliant Therapeutics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $13.31.

Pliant Therapeutics Company Profile

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis.