Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZBIO) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

Zenas BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZBIO) saw a significant increase in short interest in February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 7,801,280 shares, an increase of 18.8% from the January 29th total of 6,568,745 shares. Approximately 17.4% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 927,276 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.4 days. Based on an average daily volume of 927,276 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 8.4 days. Approximately 17.4% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Leon O. Moulder, Jr. acquired 57,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $17.96 per share, for a total transaction of $1,023,720.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 423,155 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,599,863.80. The trade was a 15.57% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Patricia L. Allen acquired 15,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $24.85 per share, with a total value of $390,145.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 15,700 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $390,145. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought 202,845 shares of company stock worth $3,747,185 in the last ninety days. 16.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Zenas BioPharma

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP raised its stake in Zenas BioPharma by 34.5% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,134 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Zenas BioPharma during the third quarter valued at about $30,000. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Zenas BioPharma in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in shares of Zenas BioPharma by 120.0% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,146 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,716 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its stake in Zenas BioPharma by 48.3% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,178 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares in the last quarter.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on ZBIO shares. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Zenas BioPharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Evercore began coverage on Zenas BioPharma in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $55.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley cut Zenas BioPharma from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $37.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, HC Wainwright reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $44.00 price target on shares of Zenas BioPharma in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $43.14.

Zenas BioPharma Trading Down 1.5%

NASDAQ ZBIO opened at $25.18 on Wednesday. Zenas BioPharma has a 52 week low of $6.11 and a 52 week high of $44.60. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $24.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.59. The company has a quick ratio of 5.66, a current ratio of 5.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a PE ratio of -3.56 and a beta of -1.94.

About Zenas BioPharma

Zenas BioPharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies in oncology and infectious diseases. The company’s proprietary platform integrates structure-guided design, computational modeling and high-throughput screening to address challenging protein-protein interactions. Zenas BioPharma is advancing multiple preclinical and clinical-stage candidates aimed at providing new treatment options where current modalities may be limited by efficacy or safety concerns.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Zenas BioPharma was built to streamline the drug discovery process from target identification through to IND-enabling studies.