Aberdeen Group plc Invests $8.90 Million in Precision BioSciences, Inc. $DTIL

Aberdeen Group plc bought a new stake in Precision BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTIL) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 2,138,603 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,897,000. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.16% of Precision BioSciences at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Corient Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Precision BioSciences in the second quarter valued at approximately $425,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Precision BioSciences by 21.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 492,596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,719,000 after acquiring an additional 87,242 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its holdings in shares of Precision BioSciences by 407.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 83,092 shares of the company’s stock valued at $459,000 after acquiring an additional 66,729 shares during the period. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Precision BioSciences in the second quarter valued at approximately $260,000. Finally, Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Precision BioSciences in the third quarter valued at approximately $122,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 37.99% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Precision BioSciences news, CFO John Alexander Kelly sold 15,213 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.03, for a total value of $61,308.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 106,448 shares in the company, valued at approximately $428,985.44. This represents a 12.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider J. Jefferson Smith sold 10,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $4.03, for a total value of $41,106.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 110,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $444,041.52. The trade was a 8.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 93,845 shares of company stock worth $376,677. 4.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Precision BioSciences Trading Up 4.2%

NASDAQ:DTIL opened at $6.26 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $4.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $161.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.22 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 13.32 and a current ratio of 13.32. Precision BioSciences, Inc. has a 1 year low of $3.53 and a 1 year high of $8.82.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

DTIL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Precision BioSciences in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised Precision BioSciences from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of Precision BioSciences in a research report on Friday, March 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Precision BioSciences currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $39.50.

About Precision BioSciences

Precision BioSciences is a clinical‐stage genome editing company that leverages its proprietary ARCUS platform to develop targeted gene therapies. ARCUS, an engineered nuclease derived from a naturally occurring enzyme, enables precise DNA modifications for both in vivo and ex vivo applications. The company’s pipeline spans genetic diseases—including rare monogenic disorders—and immuno‐oncology, where it is advancing allogeneic cell therapy candidates designed to address hematologic malignancies and solid tumors.

Founded in 2006 as a spin‐out from research at the University of North Carolina, Precision BioSciences is headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with additional research and manufacturing capabilities located in the Research Triangle Park area.