Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) Reaches New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after Truist Financial raised their price target on the stock from $30.00 to $31.00. Truist Financial currently has a buy rating on the stock. Pacira BioSciences traded as high as $36.33 and last traded at $36.30, with a volume of 5202792 shares. The stock had previously closed at $25.20.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on PCRX. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on Pacira BioSciences in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “market perform” rating and a $28.00 price target for the company. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $38.00 price objective on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Pacira BioSciences from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Pacira BioSciences from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Pacira BioSciences from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Pacira BioSciences news, insider Jonathan Slonin sold 3,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total transaction of $70,619.20. Following the sale, the insider owned 216,384 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,026,600.32. The trade was a 1.39% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 6.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Pacira BioSciences

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacira BioSciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viatris to acquire Pacira for $36.50 per share. The offer values Pacira’s equity at approximately $1.65 billion and represents a substantial premium to the stock’s previously referenced $25.20 price. The transaction gives shareholders a defined cash-exit value, although completion remains subject to customary conditions and is expected by the end of 2026. Viatris Agrees to Acquire Pacira BioSciences
• Positive Sentiment: Viatris said the deal adds Pacira’s marketed, patent-protected EXPAREL and ZILRETTA products to its portfolio and should expand their reach through Viatris’ international infrastructure. The buyer also expects commercial and research synergies with its fast-acting meloxicam opportunity, supporting the strategic rationale for the acquisition.
• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target on Pacira from $30 to $31 and maintained a “buy” rating, indicating continued analyst support before the acquisition announcement.
• Neutral Sentiment: Pacira and the Caregiver Action Network reported that families want earlier education, clearer pain-management plans and more information about non-opioid options for postsurgical recovery. The findings reinforce Pacira’s market positioning but do not directly change near-term financial results. Pacira and Caregiver Action Network Survey
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Pacira to “strong sell,” which could have pressured the shares before the takeover news, but the cash acquisition offer is likely to dominate investor sentiment. Zacks Downgrades Pacira BioSciences

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pacira BioSciences

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Pacira BioSciences by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,060,597 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,572,000 after purchasing an additional 110,584 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 17.8% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 563,458 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,295,000 after buying an additional 85,075 shares during the last quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 11.5% in the fourth quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC now owns 501,211 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,971,000 after buying an additional 51,494 shares during the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 7.5% in the first quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 331,300 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,487,000 after buying an additional 23,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Pacira BioSciences by 59.2% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 300,632 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,794,000 after buying an additional 111,743 shares in the last quarter. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Pacira BioSciences Stock Up 44.0%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.72 and a beta of 0.25. The business’s 50-day moving average is $25.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.41. The company has a quick ratio of 3.94, a current ratio of 5.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $192.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $191.06 million. Pacira BioSciences had a net margin of 1.96% and a return on equity of 9.68%. The business’s revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.74 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Pacira BioSciences, Inc. will post 1.91 EPS for the current year.

About Pacira BioSciences

Pacira BioSciences, Inc is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid pain-management products. The company’s portfolio is designed to help manage acute and chronic pain while reducing reliance on traditional opioid therapies.

Its principal product is EXPAREL, an extended-release formulation of bupivacaine used to provide postsurgical pain relief. Pacira also markets ZILRETTA, an extended-release corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, and the iovera° system, a handheld cryoanalgesia device intended to temporarily block peripheral nerves and provide targeted pain relief.

Originally known as Pacira Pharmaceuticals, the company adopted the name Pacira BioSciences in 2018 to reflect its broader focus on innovative therapies and technologies.