Kestra Medical Technologies (NASDAQ:KMTS) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to “Sell”

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Kestra Medical Technologies (NASDAQ:KMTS) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on KMTS. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Kestra Medical Technologies in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. They set a “market perform” rating on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Kestra Medical Technologies from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 31st. Wolfe Research set a $30.00 price objective on Kestra Medical Technologies in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on Kestra Medical Technologies in a research report on Monday, August 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. Finally, BTIG Research reissued a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 target price on shares of Kestra Medical Technologies in a research note on Wednesday, September 2nd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Kestra Medical Technologies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.14.

Kestra Medical Technologies Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ KMTS opened at $22.85 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $25.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.71. Kestra Medical Technologies has a 1-year low of $17.34 and a 1-year high of $30.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 4.41 and a quick ratio of 4.41. The company has a market cap of $1.34 billion, a PE ratio of -9.44 and a beta of 0.62.

Kestra Medical Technologies (NASDAQ:KMTS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported ($0.67) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.59) by ($0.08). Kestra Medical Technologies had a negative net margin of 138.35% and a negative return on equity of 57.38%. The firm had revenue of $28.64 million during the quarter. Sell-side analysts forecast that Kestra Medical Technologies will post -2.29 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kestra Medical Technologies

In related news, CFO Vaseem Mahboob sold 26,287 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.88, for a total value of $680,307.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 60,609 shares in the company, valued at $1,568,560.92. This trade represents a 30.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Timothy P. Moran sold 8,759 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $22.61, for a total transaction of $198,040.99. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 68,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,553,872.25. This represents a 11.30% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 254,588 shares of company stock worth $6,114,838. Company insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Kestra Medical Technologies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Kestra Medical Technologies by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,563 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Kestra Medical Technologies by 148.9% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,738 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,638 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Kestra Medical Technologies during the fourth quarter worth $72,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in Kestra Medical Technologies by 26.8% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 3,104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 656 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in Kestra Medical Technologies in the second quarter valued at $93,000.

Kestra Medical Technologies News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Kestra Medical Technologies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Kestra appointed Daniel Finney as Vice President of Research & Development and added him to its executive leadership team. Finney has more than 20 years of Class III medical-device experience and previously led Kestra’s new product development. He will oversee innovation for the Cardiac Recovery System, including strategic partnerships and artificial-intelligence initiatives, providing leadership continuity after the retirement of Phillip Foshee. Kestra Names Daniel Finney Vice President of Research & Development
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares as of September 10, unchanged from the prior reporting period. This suggests limited measurable short-selling pressure, but also provides little new information for investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst expectations remain mixed. BTIG maintains a $32 price target and JPMorgan has a $30 target, while other analysts are more cautious; the reported median target from recent forecasts is $24.50. The upcoming earnings release could prompt additional estimate changes. Kestra earnings preview
• Negative Sentiment: Four directors sold a combined 16,424 shares worth approximately $414,000. The transactions reduced their individual holdings by about 9% to 48%. Because the sales were made to cover tax withholding on vested equity awards, they are less concerning than discretionary selling, though the cluster may weigh on sentiment. SEC insider transaction filings
• Negative Sentiment: Kestra is expected to report a first-quarter loss, adding to concerns about profitability. Its latest reported quarter showed a $0.67 per-share loss, worse than the $0.59 consensus estimate, despite revenue of $28.64 million. Analysts currently forecast a full-year loss of approximately $2.29 per share.

Kestra Medical Technologies Company Profile

Kestra Medical Technologies, Inc is a medical device company focused on developing and commercializing technologies for patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The company’s primary product is the ASSURE wearable cardioverter defibrillator, a wearable system designed to continuously monitor a patient’s heart rhythm and deliver an electrical shock when a life-threatening arrhythmia is detected.

The ASSURE system is intended to provide temporary protection for patients who may be at elevated risk of sudden cardiac death but are not yet candidates for, or are awaiting, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.