CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) Stock: Insider James Kasinger Sells 1,040 Shares

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) General Counsel James Kasinger sold 1,040 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.26, for a total value of $51,230.40. Following the transaction, the general counsel owned 95,857 shares in the company, valued at $4,721,915.82. This trade represents a 1.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

CRISPR Therapeutics Stock Down 4.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:CRSP traded down $2.27 during trading on Friday, hitting $49.25. The stock had a trading volume of 1,517,934 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,713,734. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a 12 month low of $44.12 and a 12 month high of $75.06. The company has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $54.99 and its 200 day moving average is $53.21. The company has a quick ratio of 17.85, a current ratio of 17.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) EPS for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 3,368.72% and a negative return on equity of 24.39%. The firm had revenue of $10.18 million during the quarter. Analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CRSP has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, August 31st. William Blair raised shares of CRISPR Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.75.

Institutional Trading of CRISPR Therapeutics

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Swiss National Bank grew its stake in shares of CRISPR Therapeutics by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 169,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,073,000 after buying an additional 8,200 shares during the last quarter. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC bought a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $7,136,000. KBC Group NV raised its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 3,999.9% during the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 116,847 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,558,000 after buying an additional 113,997 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. raised its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 1.6% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 111,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,153,000 after buying an additional 1,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 29.6% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 101,232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,816,000 after buying an additional 23,109 shares during the last quarter. 69.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

CRISPR Therapeutics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CRISPR Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable despite the recent weakness. UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $52 price target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $65.75. CRISPR Therapeutics receives a new analyst rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 69.2%, with several investment managers recently establishing or expanding positions in CRSP. This suggests continued long-term interest in the company’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Institutional investors and CRISPR Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: The new UBS coverage is balanced rather than bullish: its $52 target is only modestly above the recent trading level, indicating that the analyst sees limited near-term upside while investors await additional clinical and commercial progress. UBS coverage of CRISPR Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares worth approximately $720,330, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4%. The sizable discretionary-looking sale may have weighed on sentiment, although he still retains 15,486 shares. CRISPR Therapeutics director share sale
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Samarth Kulkarni and General Counsel James Kasinger also sold shares. Their transactions were relatively small and were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity vesting, reducing the negative signal but adding to the day’s insider-selling headlines. CRISPR Therapeutics insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: CRSP remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and continues to reflect substantial development risk, including recurring losses and limited quarterly revenue. The technical weakness likely amplified the reaction to the insider-sale news. CRSP underperforms the broader market

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-editing medicines based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The company aims to treat serious diseases by precisely modifying genetic material in patients’ cells, with research programs spanning hematology, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and regenerative medicine.

Its lead product, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), is a CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy developed with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CASGEVY is approved in multiple markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, for certain patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.