Centessa Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CNTA) Hits New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ:CNTA - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high on Friday . The stock traded as high as $19.02 and last traded at $19.03, with a volume of 1180915 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.84.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on CNTA. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Centessa Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Centessa Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Centessa Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $25.83.

Centessa Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 21.52 and a quick ratio of 21.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $16.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.49. The stock has a market cap of $2.28 billion, a PE ratio of -11.28 and a beta of 1.53.

Centessa Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:CNTA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported ($0.37) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.42) by $0.05. Research analysts predict that Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc will post -1.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Centessa Pharmaceuticals

In related news, CEO Saurabh Saha sold 1,671 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.24, for a total transaction of $30,479.04. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 575,661 shares in the company, valued at $10,500,056.64. The trade was a 0.29 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gregory M. Weinhoff sold 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.66, for a total value of $176,600.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 183,266 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,236,477.56. This trade represents a 5.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 452,652 shares of company stock worth $7,800,532. 11.59% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Centessa Pharmaceuticals

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CNTA. Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new stake in Centessa Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $20,698,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in Centessa Pharmaceuticals by 99.1% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,302,546 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,360,000 after purchasing an additional 1,145,823 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in Centessa Pharmaceuticals by 54.1% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,715,663 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,423,000 after purchasing an additional 953,659 shares in the last quarter. Baker BROS. Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Centessa Pharmaceuticals by 123.4% in the 3rd quarter. Baker BROS. Advisors LP now owns 1,227,178 shares of the company's stock valued at $19,623,000 after buying an additional 677,966 shares during the period. Finally, Ally Bridge Group NY LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Centessa Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter valued at $4,951,000. Institutional investors own 82.01% of the company's stock.

Centessa Pharmaceuticals Company Profile

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and delivers medicines for patients. Its products pipeline includes SerpinPC, an activated protein C inhibitor for the treatment of hemophilia A and B; and ORX750, an orally administered OX2R agonist for the treatment of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.