Krystal Biotech (NASDAQ:KRYS) Stock Price Up 7% – Still a Buy?

Krystal Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ:KRYS) was up 7% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $261.54 and last traded at $266.3250. Approximately 38,914 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average daily volume of 270,878 shares. The stock had previously closed at $248.91.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on KRYS. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Krystal Biotech in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Krystal Biotech in a research note on Friday. Guggenheim set a $224.00 price target on shares of Krystal Biotech and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 17th. Zacks Research raised shares of Krystal Biotech from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Krystal Biotech from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.14.

Krystal Biotech Stock Up 4.2%

The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $226.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $181.50. The company has a market capitalization of $7.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.88 and a beta of 0.46.

Krystal Biotech (NASDAQ:KRYS) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $1.54. Krystal Biotech had a return on equity of 19.36% and a net margin of 53.30%.The firm had revenue of $97.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $93.72 million. As a group, research analysts expect that Krystal Biotech, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Krystal Biotech news, insider Suma Krishnan sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.16, for a total transaction of $5,504,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 1,413,711 shares in the company, valued at $311,242,613.76. The trade was a 1.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 13.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Krystal Biotech

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Soleus Capital Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Krystal Biotech by 108.9% in the second quarter. Soleus Capital Management L.P. now owns 922,958 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,870,000 after buying an additional 481,200 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in Krystal Biotech by 173.8% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 575,506 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,764,000 after acquiring an additional 365,304 shares during the last quarter. Braidwell LP increased its stake in Krystal Biotech by 81.6% in the second quarter. Braidwell LP now owns 727,811 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,045,000 after purchasing an additional 327,067 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Krystal Biotech in the second quarter worth $38,861,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in shares of Krystal Biotech by 571.3% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 222,370 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,567,000 after purchasing an additional 189,245 shares during the last quarter. 86.29% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Krystal Biotech

Krystal Biotech, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing gene therapies for rare dermatological diseases. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company applies proprietary viral vector delivery technology to enable topical administration of corrective genes directly to the skin. By targeting the underlying genetic causes of inherited skin disorders, Krystal Biotech seeks to address areas of high unmet medical need with potentially transformative treatments.

The company’s lead product candidate, KB103, is designed to deliver a functional COL7A1 gene to patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), a severe and often debilitating blistering condition.