Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Hold” Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Saturday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Evercore started coverage on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Monday, April 20th. HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $32.00 price target on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Monday, March 9th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Benitec Biopharma currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $27.00.

Benitec Biopharma Price Performance

Shares of BNTC opened at $11.49 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $394.68 million, a PE ratio of -10.08 and a beta of 0.28. Benitec Biopharma has a 1-year low of $9.85 and a 1-year high of $17.15. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $11.84 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.31.

Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.24) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.27) by $0.03. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Benitec Biopharma will post -1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Benitec Biopharma

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BNTC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Benitec Biopharma by 44.5% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,937 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 904 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Benitec Biopharma by 156.5% in the fourth quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 3,834 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 2,339 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Benitec Biopharma during the 3rd quarter worth about $79,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of Benitec Biopharma during the 2nd quarter worth about $80,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Benitec Biopharma by 2,255.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 6,879 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 6,587 shares in the last quarter. 52.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Benitec Biopharma Company Profile

Benitec Biopharma Ltd (NASDAQ: BNTC) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene-silencing therapies for serious human diseases. The company’s proprietary DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) platform is designed to enable sustained expression of small RNA molecules that specifically target and silence disease-causing genes. By integrating RNAi sequences directly into DNA constructs, ddRNAi aims to provide a long-term therapeutic effect from a single administration.

Benitec’s lead programs include development of ddRNAi candidates for chronic hepatitis B virus infection and for certain ocular conditions.