aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYR) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYR) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $21.00.

Several research analysts have issued reports on ATYR shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of aTyr Pharma in a report on Friday, March 6th. Freedom Capital upgraded aTyr Pharma from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded aTyr Pharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of aTyr Pharma in a report on Friday, May 22nd.

Insider Buying and Selling at aTyr Pharma

In related news, Director Paul Schimmel bought 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $0.50 per share, for a total transaction of $50,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 779,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $389,571.50. This trade represents a 14.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 5.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of ATYR. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of aTyr Pharma by 334.5% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,599,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,829,000 after purchasing an additional 1,231,052 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of aTyr Pharma by 46.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 382,317 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,155,000 after purchasing an additional 120,496 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning bought a new position in shares of aTyr Pharma in the second quarter valued at approximately $74,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought a new position in shares of aTyr Pharma in the second quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in shares of aTyr Pharma in the second quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors own 61.72% of the company’s stock.

aTyr Pharma Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ATYR opened at $0.44 on Monday. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $0.67 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $0.77. The firm has a market cap of $43.18 million, a P/E ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 0.55. aTyr Pharma has a 52-week low of $0.40 and a 52-week high of $7.29.

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 15th. The company reported ($0.11) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.16) by $0.05. On average, equities analysts forecast that aTyr Pharma will post -0.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

aTyr Pharma Company Profile

aTyr Pharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein-based therapies that modulate the extracellular matrix and immune pathways. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company applies its proprietary Extracellular Modulation® platform to identify and optimize biologic candidates for the treatment of rare and serious diseases, including pulmonary sarcoidosis, muscular dystrophy, and solid tumors.

The company’s research efforts are centered on harnessing extracellular proteins to regulate tissue remodeling, cell adhesion, and immune signaling.