Citigroup Issues Pessimistic Forecast for LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) Stock Price

LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $52.00 to $26.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 209.52% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also weighed in on LENZ. Wall Street Zen lowered LENZ Therapeutics from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Bank of America lowered their price target on LENZ Therapeutics from $35.00 to $29.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, HC Wainwright restated a “buy” rating on shares of LENZ Therapeutics in a report on Monday, December 15th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, LENZ Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.60.

LENZ Therapeutics Price Performance

NASDAQ:LENZ opened at $8.40 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $13.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $24.08. LENZ Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $8.40 and a 1-year high of $50.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $263.34 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.99 and a beta of 0.52.

LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 24th. The company reported ($1.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.91) by ($0.25). The firm had revenue of $1.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.09 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that LENZ Therapeutics will post -2.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of LENZ Therapeutics

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in LENZ Therapeutics by 4.3% during the second quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 9,251 shares of the company’s stock worth $271,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of LENZ Therapeutics by 51.4% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 477 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of LENZ Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of LENZ Therapeutics by 47.6% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,817 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 586 shares during the period. Finally, Bfsg LLC purchased a new stake in shares of LENZ Therapeutics in the 3rd quarter valued at $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 54.32% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about LENZ Therapeutics

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

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised near-term EPS forecasts for Q1 and Q2 2026 and upgraded FY2026/2027 trajectory (estimates moved closer to break-even), signaling improving visibility on operating performance. (Source: HC Wainwright research note)
• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright published a long‑term bullish projection (FY2030 EPS of $3.18), reflecting confidence in LENZ’s longer‑term commercialization or pipeline upside. (Source: HC Wainwright research note)
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America set a new $29 price target for LENZ, which implies meaningful upside from current levels and may support buy-side interest. LENZ Therapeutics (NASDAQ:LENZ) Given New $29.00 Price Target at Bank of America
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent earnings call materials and coverage are available for review — useful for investors digging into guidance, R&D progress and management comments. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Summary Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Analysts Offer Insights on Healthcare Companies
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright trimmed its Q4 2026 EPS estimate (from -$0.41 to -$0.48) and reduced several multi‑year forecasts (FY2028 and FY2029 down), which increases near‑term earnings uncertainty. (Source: HC Wainwright research notes)
• Negative Sentiment: LENZ reported a Q4 2025 earnings miss (EPS and revenue below consensus), a direct catalyst that likely pressured the stock and prompted analyst revisions. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup cut its price target sharply (from $52 to $26) despite keeping a buy rating — the lower PT reduces near‑term upside expectations from some institutional investors. Citigroup Lowers LENZ Price Target

LENZ Therapeutics Company Profile

LENZ Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing therapies to improve vision in the United States. Its product candidates include LNZ100 and LNZ101 which are in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of presbyopia. The company is headquartered in Del Mar, California.