Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ:ASMB) Shares Up 8.2% on Strong Earnings

Shares of Assembly Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASMB) traded up 8.2% during trading on Friday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $32.26 and last traded at $32.4140. 219,868 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 47% from the average session volume of 149,415 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.95.

The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.72) by $0.52. Assembly Biosciences had a negative return on equity of 4.21% and a negative net margin of 8.98%.The firm had revenue of $13.37 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.60 million.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Assembly Biosciences in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of Assembly Biosciences in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Assembly Biosciences in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Mizuho set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Assembly Biosciences and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Assembly Biosciences from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Assembly Biosciences

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. RA Capital Management L.P. bought a new position in Assembly Biosciences during the third quarter worth $26,122,000. Paradigm Biocapital Advisors LP bought a new stake in Assembly Biosciences during the fourth quarter valued at $22,625,000. Parkman Healthcare Partners LLC bought a new stake in Assembly Biosciences during the third quarter valued at $6,425,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Assembly Biosciences by 97.8% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 502,112 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $12,854,000 after purchasing an additional 248,287 shares during the period. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Assembly Biosciences during the fourth quarter worth $5,476,000. 19.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Assembly Biosciences Trading Up 8.2%

The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $25.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.34. The company has a market capitalization of $515.07 million, a P/E ratio of -293.55 and a beta of 1.10.

Assembly Biosciences Company Profile

Assembly Biosciences, Inc (NASDAQ: ASMB) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections. The company’s core expertise lies in small-molecule modulation of viral proteins and host-targeted pathways to achieve sustained viral suppression and potential functional cure. Assembly’s research model integrates medicinal chemistry, structural biology and translational virology to advance its pipeline from early discovery through clinical development.

The company’s lead programs include core protein allosteric modulators (CpAMs) designed to disrupt the HBV lifecycle by interfering with capsid assembly and viral DNA replication, as well as prenylation inhibitors targeting the HDV lifecycle.