Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ:ASMB) Coverage Initiated at Guggenheim

Stock analysts at Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ:ASMB) in a research note issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $31.00 price target on the biopharmaceutical company’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price points to a potential upside of 186.77% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on ASMB. StockNews.com lowered shares of Assembly Biosciences from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. HC Wainwright reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Assembly Biosciences in a research report on Monday.

Assembly Biosciences Trading Down 5.3 %

Shares of ASMB opened at $10.81 on Tuesday. Assembly Biosciences has a 12-month low of $10.27 and a 12-month high of $19.93. The stock has a market cap of $68.71 million, a P/E ratio of -1.61 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a 50-day moving average of $12.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $15.02.

Assembly Biosciences (NASDAQ:ASMB) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 20th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($1.57) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.75) by $0.18. Assembly Biosciences had a negative return on equity of 121.46% and a negative net margin of 144.05%. The firm had revenue of $7.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.05 million. As a group, analysts forecast that Assembly Biosciences will post -6.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Assembly Biosciences

In related news, Director Michael Houghton purchased 3,202 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $15.61 per share, with a total value of $49,983.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,202 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $49,983.22. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 5.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Assembly Biosciences

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Peapod Lane Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Assembly Biosciences in the 4th quarter worth $994,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in Assembly Biosciences by 5,137.3% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,509 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 3,442 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of Assembly Biosciences by 29.7% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 15,855 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 3,635 shares during the period. Monimus Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Assembly Biosciences in the 4th quarter valued at about $664,000. Finally, Palumbo Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Assembly Biosciences during the 4th quarter worth about $180,000. 19.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Assembly Biosciences

Assembly Biosciences, Inc, a biotechnology company, develops therapeutic candidates for the treatment of viral diseases. It develops ABI-5366, a long-acting herpes simplex virus (HSV) helicase-primase inhibitor that is in Phase 1a/1b clinical trial to treat recurrent genital herpes; ABI-1179, which is in Phase 1a/1b clinical trial for the treatment of recurrent genital herpes; and ABI-6250, a small molecule orally bioavailable hepatitis delta virus entry inhibitor that is in Phase 1a clinical trial.