Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Trims Stake in WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. $WVE

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership lessened its position in WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. (NASDAQ:WVE) by 45.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,232,926 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,031,909 shares during the quarter. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership owned 0.77% of WAVE Life Sciences worth $9,025,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in WAVE Life Sciences in the third quarter worth about $307,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of WAVE Life Sciences in the third quarter worth approximately $375,000. Profund Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of WAVE Life Sciences by 9.8% during the 3rd quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 24,722 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after acquiring an additional 2,215 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in WAVE Life Sciences by 1,156.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 9,925 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 9,135 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in WAVE Life Sciences by 7.7% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 39,847 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,000 after acquiring an additional 2,866 shares during the period. 89.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on WVE shares. Bank of America initiated coverage on WAVE Life Sciences in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $38.00 target price for the company. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price target on shares of WAVE Life Sciences from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of WAVE Life Sciences from $16.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on shares of WAVE Life Sciences from $34.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of WAVE Life Sciences in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $33.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at WAVE Life Sciences

In related news, insider Chandra Vargeese sold 3,228 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total transaction of $43,416.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 408,246 shares in the company, valued at $5,490,908.70. This represents a 0.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Paul Bolno sold 10,480 shares of WAVE Life Sciences stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.45, for a total value of $140,956.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 275,520 shares in the company, valued at $3,705,744. This trade represents a 3.66% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 948,375 shares of company stock worth $14,112,151. 23.98% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

WAVE Life Sciences Stock Performance

NASDAQ WVE opened at $13.93 on Friday. WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. has a one year low of $5.28 and a one year high of $21.73. The company has a market capitalization of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.42 and a beta of -1.78. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $14.45 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.81.

WAVE Life Sciences (NASDAQ:WVE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported ($0.30) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.28) by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $17.25 million for the quarter. WAVE Life Sciences had a negative net margin of 478.35% and a negative return on equity of 140.75%. Equities analysts expect that WAVE Life Sciences Ltd. will post -1.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting WAVE Life Sciences

Here are the key news stories impacting WAVE Life Sciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: INHBE obesity program progressing — Wave is advancing WVE‑007 (INHBE GalNAc‑siRNA) and is positioning it as a once‑ or twice‑yearly obesity treatment; early data show fat loss at three months similar to GLP‑1s while preserving muscle, which if confirmed could be a high‑value, low‑frequency dosing differentiator. Wave Life Sciences targets once or twice yearly obesity treatment as INHBE program advances
• Positive Sentiment: On track for near‑term clinical readout — Company press release reiterates INLIGHT data update expected in 1Q 2026 and highlights durable fat‑loss signals and dose‑response expectations for WVE‑007, providing a clear upcoming catalyst. Wave Life Sciences Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results and Provides Business Update
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 call and transcript show mixed messaging — Management walked through a revenue beat but flagged pressures and gave operational context on the pipeline; the call transcript and highlight pieces provide detail for modeling near‑term revenue and R&D cadence. Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (WVE) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings miss and weak profitability metrics — WVE reported Q4 EPS of ($0.30), missing consensus by $0.02, though revenue of $17.25M topped expectations; the company still shows large negative margins and negative ROE, underscoring continued cash burn and dilution risk. Wave Life Sciences (WVE) Reports Q4 Loss, Tops Revenue Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale by a senior executive — Chris Francis sold 33,194 shares (~$15.05 avg), cutting his ownership nearly 35%; while insider sales can be for personal reasons, markets often interpret sizable reductions by executives as a near‑term negative signal. Chris Francis insider sale

WAVE Life Sciences Company Profile

WAVE Life Sciences is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company focused on the discovery and development of stereopure oligonucleotide therapies designed to address serious diseases with high unmet medical need. Leveraging proprietary chemistry and precision synthesis, WAVE engineers drug candidates with defined stereochemistry to optimize potency, safety and manufacturability. This approach aims to enhance target specificity and improve therapeutic profiles compared with traditional oligonucleotide medicines.

The company’s pipeline includes programs in neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and neurodegenerative conditions including Huntington’s disease, as well as early-stage cardiovascular and liver indications.