HighVista Strategies LLC Reduces Stock Position in Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS)

HighVista Strategies LLC reduced its stake in shares of Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Free Report) by 36.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 73,980 shares of the biotechnology company's stock after selling 42,738 shares during the quarter. Merus accounts for 1.3% of HighVista Strategies LLC's holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. HighVista Strategies LLC owned approximately 0.11% of Merus worth $3,696,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Merus by 24.7% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,467 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $118,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in shares of Merus by 2.9% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 33,745 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $1,520,000 after buying an additional 936 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Merus by 750.0% in the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 1,700 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $85,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE bought a new stake in shares of Merus during the 3rd quarter valued at about $103,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in Merus by 41.0% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 8,847 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $523,000 after purchasing an additional 2,572 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.14% of the company's stock.

Merus Stock Performance

MRUS stock traded down $2.32 on Tuesday, reaching $46.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 513,005 shares, compared to its average volume of 682,694. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $51.88. Merus has a 12-month low of $22.27 and a 12-month high of $61.61.

Merus (NASDAQ:MRUS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The biotechnology company reported ($0.95) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.90) by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $11.77 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.11 million. Merus had a negative net margin of 680.61% and a negative return on equity of 38.89%. As a group, research analysts expect that Merus will post -3.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRUS has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $109.00 price objective (down previously from $111.00) on shares of Merus in a research report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Merus in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $73.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Merus in a research report on Monday. HC Wainwright restated a "buy" rating and set a $85.00 price target on shares of Merus in a research note on Monday. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on Merus in a report on Thursday, October 24th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $72.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $85.27.

Merus Company Profile

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.