Short Interest in Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS) Declines By 13.5%

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 6,640,000 shares, a drop of 13.5% from the January 31st total of 7,680,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 629,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 10.5 days.

Merus Stock Performance

MRUS traded up $0.68 during trading on Monday, reaching $46.75. The company's stock had a trading volume of 858,108 shares, compared to its average volume of 643,862. The company has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.84 and a beta of 1.15. The company's fifty day moving average price is $42.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $46.49. Merus has a 52-week low of $37.77 and a 52-week high of $61.61.

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.41) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.89) by $0.48. Merus had a negative return on equity of 38.89% and a negative net margin of 680.61%. The firm had revenue of $9.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.57 million. Equities analysts predict that Merus will post -3.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Merus

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in MRUS. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Merus during the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in shares of Merus by 27.3% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 1,400 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of Merus in the 4th quarter worth approximately $60,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Merus in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $76,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Merus during the fourth quarter worth $84,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.14% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MRUS shares. Bank of America reduced their price target on Merus from $73.00 to $70.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Citigroup raised their price target on Merus from $89.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, December 9th. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Merus in a research report on Monday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Merus in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $73.00 price target for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Merus in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $84.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $85.31.

About Merus

Merus N.V., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, engages in the development of antibody therapeutics in the Netherlands. Its bispecific antibody candidate pipeline includes Zenocutuzumab (MCLA-128), which is in a phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer and castration-resistant prostate cancer, as well as in Phase 1/2 clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors that harbor Neuregulin 1.