Celcuity (NASDAQ:CELC) Stock Price Up 8% on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Celcuity, Inc. (NASDAQ:CELC) shares rose 8% during mid-day trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $135.53 and last traded at $134.44. Approximately 509,765 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 37% from the average daily volume of 810,381 shares. The stock had previously closed at $124.47.

The company reported ($0.97) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.07) by $0.10.

Celcuity News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Celcuity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Celcuity announced amendments to its Phase 3 VIKTORIA-2 trial for gedatolisib, expanding the study to include endocrine-sensitive patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer. The broader trial population could increase the drug’s commercial opportunity if results remain positive. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Needham & Company reiterated its Buy rating on Celcuity and raised its price target to $157, signaling continued analyst confidence in the company’s pipeline and upside potential. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Celcuity reported first-quarter 2026 earnings of ($0.97) per share, beating consensus estimates of ($1.07). While the company is still unprofitable, the smaller-than-expected loss likely supported investor sentiment. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Celcuity also provided its first-quarter financial results and a corporate update, but the main market focus appears to be on the trial expansion and analyst upgrades rather than the broader financial details. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: An earnings call transcript was published for the quarter, which may help investors assess management’s commentary on trial progress, cash needs, and commercialization plans. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Celcuity in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered Celcuity from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 25th. Guggenheim upped their price target on Celcuity from $135.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $157.00 price objective on shares of Celcuity in a report on Friday. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised their price objective on Celcuity from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “market outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Celcuity has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Richard E. Buller sold 9,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.46, for a total value of $1,264,140.00. Following the sale, the director owned 6,760 shares in the company, valued at $949,509.60. This represents a 57.11% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director David Dalvey sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.68, for a total value of $3,517,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 65,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,144,200. This trade represents a 27.78% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 37,000 shares of company stock valued at $5,111,950 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 13.33% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celcuity

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Avoro Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Celcuity in the 4th quarter worth about $310,302,000. NEA Management Company LLC grew its position in Celcuity by 64.9% during the 4th quarter. NEA Management Company LLC now owns 3,535,561 shares of the company’s stock valued at $352,637,000 after purchasing an additional 1,391,300 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Celcuity by 126.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,637,687 shares of the company’s stock valued at $163,343,000 after purchasing an additional 914,887 shares during the last quarter. Apis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Celcuity during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,334,000. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its stake in Celcuity by 910.1% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 854,483 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,211,000 after purchasing an additional 769,891 shares in the last quarter. 63.33% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Celcuity Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $118.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $106.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.66 billion, a PE ratio of -35.30 and a beta of 0.09. The company has a quick ratio of 10.55, a current ratio of 10.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.20.

Celcuity Company Profile

Celcuity, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in precision oncology diagnostics. The company develops and commercializes predictive biomarker assays designed to identify which patients are most likely to benefit from targeted cancer therapies. By integrating functional profiling of tumor cells with molecular analyses, Celcuity seeks to optimize treatment selection and improve outcomes for patients with solid tumors.

Celcuity’s proprietary platform evaluates tumor cell sensitivity to various therapeutic agents using ex vivo assays that measure DNA damage response and other critical pathways.