Short Interest in Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZBIO) Increases By 27.4%

Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZBIO) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,086,840 shares, a growth of 27.4% from the December 31st total of 4,779,373 shares. Approximately 13.6% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,020,663 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,020,663 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Approximately 13.6% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Zenas BioPharma Price Performance

Shares of ZBIO opened at $19.72 on Wednesday. Zenas BioPharma has a 1-year low of $6.11 and a 1-year high of $44.60. The firm has a market cap of $1.06 billion, a PE ratio of -2.79 and a beta of -1.50. The company has a current ratio of 5.66, a quick ratio of 5.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.30.

Zenas BioPharma (NASDAQ:ZBIO) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported ($1.22) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.87) by ($0.35).

Insider Transactions at Zenas BioPharma

In related news, CEO Leon O. Moulder, Jr. purchased 57,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $17.96 per share, with a total value of $1,023,720.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 423,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,599,863.80. This represents a 15.57% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders bought 157,000 shares of company stock worth $2,662,720. 16.50% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Zenas BioPharma

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of Zenas BioPharma during the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 34.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Zenas BioPharma in the third quarter worth $30,000. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 48.3% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,178 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in Zenas BioPharma during the fourth quarter valued at $95,000.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ZBIO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Zenas BioPharma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley cut shares of Zenas BioPharma from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $37.00 to $19.00 in a report on Monday, January 5th. Evercore ISI initiated coverage on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Zenas BioPharma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.14.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies in oncology and infectious diseases. The company’s proprietary platform integrates structure-guided design, computational modeling and high-throughput screening to address challenging protein-protein interactions. Zenas BioPharma is advancing multiple preclinical and clinical-stage candidates aimed at providing new treatment options where current modalities may be limited by efficacy or safety concerns.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Zenas BioPharma was built to streamline the drug discovery process from target identification through to IND-enabling studies.