Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Makes New Investment in Azenta, Inc. (NASDAQ:AZTA)

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in Azenta, Inc. (NASDAQ:AZTA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 21,610 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,080,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Premier Fund Managers Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Azenta during the 3rd quarter worth about $686,000. Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in Azenta by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 739,977 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,844,000 after purchasing an additional 53,584 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its position in Azenta by 355.2% in the 4th quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 25,899 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,294,000 after buying an additional 20,210 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR purchased a new position in Azenta in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $313,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Azenta during the 4th quarter worth $813,000. 99.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Azenta Price Performance

NASDAQ:AZTA traded up $0.68 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $43.62. The stock had a trading volume of 603,892 shares, compared to its average volume of 512,377. The company has a market capitalization of $1.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -14.64 and a beta of 1.47. Azenta, Inc. has a 1-year low of $38.82 and a 1-year high of $67.77. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $50.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $47.71.

Azenta (NASDAQ:AZTA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $0.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by $0.03. Azenta had a negative net margin of 24.91% and a positive return on equity of 1.25%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Azenta, Inc. will post 0.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AZTA shares. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $60.00 price target on shares of Azenta in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. TD Cowen raised shares of Azenta to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday. Needham & Company LLC upped their price objective on shares of Azenta from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Azenta from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $58.75.

Azenta Company Profile

Azenta, Inc provides biological and chemical compound sample exploration and management solutions for the life sciences market in North America, Africa, China, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates in two reportable segments, Life Sciences Products and Life Sciences Services.