Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) CFO Nigel Bernard John Clerkin Sells 2,267 Shares of Stock

Icon Plc (NASDAQ:ICLR) CFO Nigel Bernard John Clerkin sold 2,267 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total value of $372,445.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 5,881 shares in the company, valued at $966,189.49. This trade represents a 27.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Icon Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ ICLR opened at $167.17 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.86 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The business has a 50-day moving average of $161.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $134.18. Icon Plc has a 1 year low of $66.57 and a 1 year high of $203.91.

Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical research company reported $2.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.01. Icon had a return on equity of 8.02% and a net margin of 3.99%.The business had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Icon Plc will post 9.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Icon

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ICLR. Harris Associates L P acquired a new stake in Icon in the second quarter valued at $238,256,000. Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Icon by 555.2% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 1,496,479 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $272,688,000 after buying an additional 1,268,095 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Icon by 26.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,637,137 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $811,499,000 after acquiring an additional 975,268 shares in the last quarter. Lyrical Asset Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Icon during the fourth quarter valued at $176,382,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Icon during the 4th quarter worth about $160,073,000. 95.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ICLR has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird set a $194.00 price objective on shares of Icon in a report on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Icon from $164.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Icon from $160.00 to $187.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Leerink Partners set a $145.00 price target on shares of Icon in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Icon to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.40.

Key Icon News

Here are the key news stories impacting Icon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Icon’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations: adjusted earnings were $2.56 per share versus a $2.55 consensus, while revenue of $2.06 billion topped estimates of $2.00 billion. Revenue grew 2.3% year over year, supporting the stock despite lower earnings than the prior-year quarter.
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts maintain bullish targets above recent trading levels. BMO Capital Markets raised its target to $187 and Mizuho lifted its target to $190, while the broader analyst consensus is a “Hold” with an average target of $170.40. Should You Bring The Luck Of The Irish To Your Investments?
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Barry Balfe sold 382 shares worth approximately $62,675, while CFO Nigel Clerkin sold 2,267 shares worth about $372,445. Six directors also sold shares, including Ciaran Murray’s approximately $439,804 transaction. All sales were disclosed as tax-withholding transactions tied to equity award vesting, and the executives and directors retained stock afterward. Icon CEO Sells Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares, indicating no measurable short-selling pressure; however, this also provides limited evidence of potential short-covering support.
• Neutral Sentiment: ICLR trades well above its 200-day moving average and carries a relatively elevated valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 39 and a PEG ratio of 6.88. This suggests investors are already pricing in substantial future growth.

About Icon

Icon plc (NASDAQ: ICLR) is a global provider of outsourced drug development and clinical research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company partners with clients at all stages of the product life cycle, offering expertise in protocol design, trial execution and regulatory compliance across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

Icon’s service portfolio encompasses clinical trial management, data management and biostatistics, medical imaging, pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring, laboratory sciences and specialized analytical solutions.