Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) Given Neutral Rating at Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald reissued their neutral rating on shares of Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX - Free Report) in a report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. Cantor Fitzgerald also issued estimates for Pliant Therapeutics' FY2025 earnings at ($1.51) EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Oppenheimer reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded Pliant Therapeutics from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lowered their price target for the company from $45.00 to $4.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "hold" rating and set a $4.00 price target (down from $43.00) on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered Pliant Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup cut Pliant Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $4.00 in a report on Monday, February 10th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat, Pliant Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $13.31.

Pliant Therapeutics Trading Up 2.5 %

NASDAQ:PLRX traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $1.62. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,636,036 shares, compared to its average volume of 848,791. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 10.26 and a quick ratio of 10.26. The stock has a market cap of $98.58 million, a P/E ratio of -0.49 and a beta of 1.18. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $8.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $11.50. Pliant Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $1.26 and a twelve month high of $16.52.

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Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, March 3rd. The company reported ($0.82) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.99) by $0.17. On average, equities analysts predict that Pliant Therapeutics will post -3.64 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, General Counsel Mike Ouimette sold 10,230 shares of Pliant Therapeutics stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.99, for a total transaction of $112,427.70. Following the sale, the general counsel now owns 70,544 shares in the company, valued at $775,278.56. This trade represents a 12.66 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Hans Hull sold 15,936 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.20, for a total transaction of $178,483.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 211,558 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,369,449.60. The trade was a 7.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 91,855 shares of company stock valued at $1,026,628. Corporate insiders own 6.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pliant Therapeutics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. China Universal Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 12,903 shares of the company's stock valued at $170,000 after buying an additional 1,209 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in Pliant Therapeutics by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 95,700 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Atria Investments Inc boosted its stake in Pliant Therapeutics by 18.1% during the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 11,821 shares of the company's stock valued at $156,000 after acquiring an additional 1,812 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Pliant Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 459,384 shares of the company's stock worth $6,050,000 after purchasing an additional 2,721 shares during the last quarter. 97.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Pliant Therapeutics Company Profile

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, discovers, develops, and commercializes novel therapies for the treatment of fibrosis and related diseases in the United States. The company's lead candidate is bexotegrast, an oral, small-molecule, dual selective inhibitor of avß6 and avß1 integrins, which is in phase 2b trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and in phase 2a trial for primary sclerosing cholangitis.