Icon Plc $ICLR Shares Bought by Handelsbanken Fonder AB

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in shares of Icon Plc (NASDAQ:ICLR) by 463.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 71,817 shares of the medical research company’s stock after purchasing an additional 59,078 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned approximately 0.09% of Icon worth $12,475,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Polianta Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Icon during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,876,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Icon by 21.4% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 391 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Icon by 30.0% in the second quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 866 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $150,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Icon by 21.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $289,000 after purchasing an additional 466 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Militia Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Icon during the 1st quarter worth about $2,523,000. 95.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Icon News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Icon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Icon’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations: adjusted EPS was $2.56 versus the $2.55 consensus, while revenue of $2.06 billion topped estimates of $2.00 billion. Revenue also rose 2.3% year over year, indicating continued demand for its outsourced clinical-research services.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains a potential catalyst. BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $187, Mizuho lifted its target to $190, and William Blair upgraded the stock to “strong buy.” The broader analyst consensus is “Hold,” with an average target of $170.40. Analyst coverage article
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership is high at 95.61%, and several investment firms recently initiated or increased positions in ICLR. The stock is also trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, reflecting favorable recent momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO Barry Balfe, CFO Nigel Clerkin and several directors sold shares totaling roughly $1.6 million at prices near $164.07–$164.29. The filings state that the sales were made to cover tax-withholding obligations connected with vested equity awards, and the insiders retained shares afterward, reducing the negative signal. Icon insider sales article
• Negative Sentiment: Although revenue beat estimates, quarterly EPS fell from $3.26 in the prior-year period, highlighting earnings pressure. ICLR also trades at a relatively demanding valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 39 and a PEG ratio above 6, leaving the stock vulnerable if growth or guidance weakens.

Insider Buying and Selling at Icon

In other news, CFO Nigel Bernard John Clerkin sold 2,267 shares of Icon stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total transaction of $372,445.43. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 5,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $966,189.49. The trade was a 27.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, Director Ciaran Murray sold 2,677 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total value of $439,804.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 20,452 shares in the company, valued at $3,360,059.08. This represents a 11.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 9,531 shares of company stock worth $1,565,764. Insiders own 44.00% of the company’s stock.

Icon Stock Performance

Shares of Icon stock opened at $167.48 on Friday. Icon Plc has a one year low of $66.57 and a one year high of $203.91. The company has a market cap of $12.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.31, a PEG ratio of 6.93 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a current ratio of 0.95. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $162.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $134.04.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on ICLR shares. Zacks Research upgraded Icon from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays lifted their price target on Icon from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. UBS Group set a $160.00 price objective on Icon in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $209.00 price objective (up from $207.00) on shares of Icon in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Icon from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Icon currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.40.

Icon Profile

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.