Stifel Nicolaus Downgrades Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX) to Hold

Pliant Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PLRX - Get Free Report) was downgraded by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Pliant Therapeutics from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group reissued a "hold" rating and set a $4.00 price target (down from $43.00) on shares of Pliant Therapeutics in a research report on Monday, February 10th. HC Wainwright downgraded Pliant Therapeutics from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada cut Pliant Therapeutics from an "outperform" rating to a "sector perform" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $45.00 to $4.00 in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Leerink Partners downgraded Pliant Therapeutics from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and dropped their target price for the company from $33.00 to $2.00 in a report on Monday. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $13.31.

Pliant Therapeutics Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PLRX traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $1.58. 1,894,385 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 843,300. The firm has a market cap of $96.15 million, a P/E ratio of -0.47 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 10.26 and a quick ratio of 10.26. Pliant Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $1.26 and a twelve month high of $16.52. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $8.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.59.

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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 for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.99) by $0.17. Equities research analysts anticipate that Pliant Therapeutics will post -3.64 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Pliant Therapeutics

In other Pliant Therapeutics news, insider Hans Hull sold 15,936 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.20, for a total value of $178,483.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 211,558 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,369,449.60. The trade was a 7.01 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Bernard Coulie sold 52,419 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.20, for a total value of $587,092.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 430,517 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,821,790.40. This represents a 10.85 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 91,855 shares of company stock valued at $1,026,628. Insiders own 6.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Pliant Therapeutics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Pliant Therapeutics by 1,299.0% in the fourth quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 5,596 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 5,196 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $99,000. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the fourth quarter worth about $108,000. Finally, Atria Investments Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Pliant Therapeutics in the third quarter worth about $112,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.30% of the company's stock.

About Pliant Therapeutics

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.