2,209,471 Shares in Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASMB) Acquired by Gilead Sciences Inc.

Gilead Sciences Inc. purchased a new stake in Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASMB - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 2,209,471 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock, valued at approximately $34,865,000. Assembly Biosciences comprises about 2.2% of Gilead Sciences Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Gilead Sciences Inc. owned about 34.74% of Assembly Biosciences at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ASMB. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Assembly Biosciences by 29.7% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 15,855 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 3,635 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in Assembly Biosciences by 5,137.3% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,509 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 3,442 shares during the period. Peapod Lane Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Assembly Biosciences during the fourth quarter worth about $994,000. Palumbo Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Assembly Biosciences in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $180,000. Finally, Monimus Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Assembly Biosciences in the 4th quarter valued at $664,000. 19.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Assembly Biosciences Trading Up 3.5 %

NASDAQ:ASMB traded up $0.35 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $10.42. The stock had a trading volume of 8,864 shares, compared to its average volume of 25,658. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $13.99. Assembly Biosciences, Inc. has a 1-year low of $7.75 and a 1-year high of $19.93. The company has a market cap of $78.18 million, a PE ratio of -1.55 and a beta of 0.65.

Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ:ASMB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 20th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.57) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.75) by $0.18. The company had revenue of $7.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.05 million. Assembly Biosciences had a negative return on equity of 121.46% and a negative net margin of 144.05%. Research analysts expect that Assembly Biosciences, Inc. will post -6.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ASMB. Guggenheim initiated coverage on Assembly Biosciences in a report on Tuesday, March 25th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $31.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded Assembly Biosciences from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Assembly Biosciences in a research note on Monday, March 24th.

About Assembly Biosciences

Assembly Biosciences, Inc, a biotechnology company, develops therapeutic candidates for the treatment of viral diseases. It develops ABI-5366, a long-acting herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor that is in Phase 1a/1b clinical trial to treat recurrent genital herpes; ABI-1179, which is in Phase 1a/1b clinical trial for the treatment of recurrent genital herpes; and ABI-6250, a small molecule orally bioavailable hepatitis delta virus entry inhibitor that is in Phase 1a clinical trial.