Cantor Fitzgerald Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:APLS) Stock Price

Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:APLS) had its price target dropped by Cantor Fitzgerald from $39.00 to $35.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 72.16% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and set a $19.00 price target on shares of Apellis Pharmaceuticals in a report on Monday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Apellis Pharmaceuticals from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on Apellis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $32.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Apellis Pharmaceuticals from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Apellis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. They set a “peer perform” rating for the company. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Apellis Pharmaceuticals presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $33.65.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Price Performance

Shares of APLS opened at $20.33 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $22.86 and its 200-day moving average is $23.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 3.54 and a quick ratio of 3.10. The company has a market capitalization of $2.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 65.58 and a beta of 0.31. Apellis Pharmaceuticals has a fifty-two week low of $16.10 and a fifty-two week high of $31.17.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:APLS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.64. The business had revenue of $458.58 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $364.58 million. Apellis Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 4.43% and a return on equity of 18.94%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 133.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.46) earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Apellis Pharmaceuticals will post -1.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Apellis Pharmaceuticals

In related news, CFO Timothy Eugene Sullivan sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.03, for a total value of $280,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 110,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,109,536.08. This trade represents a 8.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, General Counsel David O. Watson sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.49, for a total value of $122,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 103,730 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,540,347.70. This trade represents a 4.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 20,000 shares of company stock valued at $503,050 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 6.50% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Apellis Pharmaceuticals

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Apellis Pharmaceuticals by 80.0% in the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 855 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in shares of Apellis Pharmaceuticals by 206.8% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 2,037 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,373 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Apellis Pharmaceuticals by 141.2% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,682 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,570 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Apellis Pharmaceuticals by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,194 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 857 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in Apellis Pharmaceuticals in the 3rd quarter worth $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.29% of the company’s stock.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Apellis Pharmaceuticals this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rising SYFOVRE demand and a plan to introduce prefilled syringes — management and analysts see this as a potential revenue and margin booster if adoption continues. Rising SYFOVRE Demand and Prefilled Syringe Plan Could Be A Game Changer For Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS)
• Positive Sentiment: Strong 2025 revenue update and expansion into nephrology improve the company’s growth narrative and valuation discussion among investors. A Look At Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS) Valuation After Strong 2025 Revenue Update And Nephrology Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Apellis presented at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference — investor-facing presentation can help sustain visibility and support uptake narratives. Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS) Presents at 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference – Slideshow
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy on APLS, supporting investor confidence, but the note did not materially raise targets. Wells Fargo Remains a Buy on Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS)
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage shows analysts remain split on healthcare names including APLS — divergent views can lead to choppy trading until clearer near-term fundamentals emerge. Analysts Conflicted on These Healthcare Names: Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS), Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT) and Mereo Biopharma Group Plc (MREO)
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put buying: investors purchased ~6,398 put options (roughly +521% vs. average), signaling elevated short-term hedging or bearish bets and likely contributing to downward pressure on the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Two analysts trimmed price targets — Cantor Fitzgerald lowered its target from $39 to $35 (still overweight) and Needham cut from $29 to $28 (still Buy). Target trims, even with buy ratings retained, can create headline-driven selling. Benzinga coverage of analyst target changes
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical/relative-strength commentary notes improved performance versus prior periods but still lagging some benchmarks — technicals may limit rallies until confirming fundamental signals arrive. Apellis Pharmaceuticals shows improved relative strength; still shy of benchmark

About Apellis Pharmaceuticals

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, traded as NASDAQ:APLS, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies targeting the complement cascade for the treatment of rare and debilitating diseases. The company’s research and development efforts center on modulating complement proteins to address a range of ophthalmologic, hematologic and renal conditions. Apellis leverages its proprietary compstatin technology platform to design targeted inhibitors intended to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

The company’s lead marketed product, Syfovre (pegcetacoplan), is an intravitreal complement C3 inhibitor approved for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration, with ongoing investigations in other retinal disorders.