Insider Selling: CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) General Counsel Sells $51,230.40 in Stock

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) General Counsel James Kasinger sold 1,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.26, for a total transaction of $51,230.40. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 95,857 shares in the company, valued at $4,721,915.82. This trade represents a 1.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

CRISPR Therapeutics Trading Down 4.4%

NASDAQ CRSP opened at $49.25 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $54.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $53.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 17.85 and a current ratio of 17.85. CRISPR Therapeutics AG has a one year low of $44.12 and a one year high of $75.06. The firm has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.35 and a beta of 1.76.

CRISPR Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CRSP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 30th. The company reported ($0.94) earnings per share for the quarter. CRISPR Therapeutics had a negative net margin of 3,368.72% and a negative return on equity of 24.39%. The business had revenue of $10.18 million during the quarter. Equities research analysts anticipate that CRISPR Therapeutics AG will post -4.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about CRISPR Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting CRISPR Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains generally favorable despite the recent weakness. UBS initiated coverage with a neutral rating and a $52 price target, while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $65.75. CRISPR Therapeutics receives a new analyst rating
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 69.2%, with several investment managers recently establishing or expanding positions in CRSP. This suggests continued long-term interest in the company’s gene-editing platform and CASGEVY partnership with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Institutional investors and CRISPR Therapeutics
• Neutral Sentiment: The new UBS coverage is balanced rather than bullish: its $52 target is only modestly above the recent trading level, indicating that the analyst sees limited near-term upside while investors await additional clinical and commercial progress. UBS coverage of CRISPR Therapeutics
• Negative Sentiment: Director Simeon George sold 14,514 shares worth approximately $720,330, reducing his direct ownership by 48.4%. The sizable discretionary-looking sale may have weighed on sentiment, although he still retains 15,486 shares. CRISPR Therapeutics director share sale
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Samarth Kulkarni and General Counsel James Kasinger also sold shares. Their transactions were relatively small and were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity vesting, reducing the negative signal but adding to the day’s insider-selling headlines. CRISPR Therapeutics insider transactions
• Negative Sentiment: CRSP remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and continues to reflect substantial development risk, including recurring losses and limited quarterly revenue. The technical weakness likely amplified the reaction to the insider-sale news. CRSP underperforms the broader market

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRISPR Therapeutics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 5.1% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 169,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,073,000 after purchasing an additional 8,200 shares during the last quarter. Affinity Asset Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRISPR Therapeutics in the first quarter valued at approximately $7,136,000. Congress Asset Management Co. boosted its holdings in CRISPR Therapeutics by 1.6% in the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 111,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,153,000 after purchasing an additional 1,777 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 3,999.9% in the first quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 116,847 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,558,000 after purchasing an additional 113,997 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics by 29.6% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 101,232 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,816,000 after purchasing an additional 23,109 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.20% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Citizens Jmp restated a “market outperform” rating and issued a $80.00 price target on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Wall Street Zen raised CRISPR Therapeutics from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 8th. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, August 31st. HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of CRISPR Therapeutics in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, William Blair upgraded CRISPR Therapeutics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $65.75.

CRISPR Therapeutics Company Profile

CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) is a biotechnology company focused on developing gene-editing medicines based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The company aims to treat serious diseases by precisely modifying genetic material in patients’ cells, with research programs spanning hematology, oncology, autoimmune diseases, and regenerative medicine.

Its lead product, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), is a CRISPR/Cas9-based cell therapy developed with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. CASGEVY is approved in multiple markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, for certain patients with sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.