Autolus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AUTL) Trading Down 5.6% - Here's Why

Autolus Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:AUTL - Get Free Report) was down 5.6% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $2.20 and last traded at $2.20. Approximately 210,469 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average daily volume of 1,070,862 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.33.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on AUTL. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $10.00 price target on shares of Autolus Therapeutics in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Autolus Therapeutics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $7.00 to $7.60 in a report on Monday, November 18th. Finally, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Autolus Therapeutics from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $13.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, November 15th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $10.40.

Autolus Therapeutics Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.56. The firm has a market cap of $590.72 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.83 and a beta of 2.05.

Autolus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AUTL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported ($0.31) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.21) by ($0.10). During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.26) EPS. Analysts expect that Autolus Therapeutics plc will post -0.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Autolus Therapeutics

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AUTL. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Autolus Therapeutics by 35.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 24,220,226 shares of the company's stock valued at $87,919,000 after buying an additional 6,330,392 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of Autolus Therapeutics by 44.6% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 17,773,873 shares of the company's stock valued at $64,519,000 after acquiring an additional 5,478,706 shares in the last quarter. Armistice Capital LLC increased its position in Autolus Therapeutics by 33.8% during the second quarter. Armistice Capital LLC now owns 6,250,000 shares of the company's stock worth $21,750,000 after acquiring an additional 1,578,000 shares during the period. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC increased its position in Autolus Therapeutics by 27.4% during the second quarter. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC now owns 4,300,000 shares of the company's stock worth $14,964,000 after acquiring an additional 925,000 shares during the period. Finally, Great Point Partners LLC raised its stake in Autolus Therapeutics by 195.0% in the 2nd quarter. Great Point Partners LLC now owns 3,441,667 shares of the company's stock worth $11,977,000 after purchasing an additional 2,275,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.83% of the company's stock.

About Autolus Therapeutics

Autolus Therapeutics plc, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company's clinical-stage programs include obecabtagene autoleucel (AUTO1), a CD19-targeting programmed T cell investigational therapy that is in Phase 1b/2 clinical trial for the treatment of adult ALL; AUTO1/22, which is in a Phase 1 clinical trial in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory ALL; AUTO4, a programmed T cell investigational therapy for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma targeting TRBC1 and TRBC2; AUTO6NG, a programmed T cell investigational therapy targeting GD2 in development for the treatment of neuroblastoma; and AUTO8, a product candidate to treat multiple myeloma.