Benitec Biopharma Limited (NASDAQ:BNTC) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Benitec Biopharma Limited (NASDAQ:BNTC) have been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $27.00.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Monday, April 20th. Evercore assumed coverage on Benitec Biopharma in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 price objective on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a report on Monday, March 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Benitec Biopharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 16th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Benitec Biopharma in a research note on Monday, March 9th.

Benitec Biopharma Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BNTC opened at $10.55 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $362.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.25 and a beta of 0.27. Benitec Biopharma has a 1-year low of $9.85 and a 1-year high of $17.15. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $11.69 and its 200 day moving average is $11.93.

Benitec Biopharma (NASDAQ:BNTC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.24) earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.27) by $0.03. On average, analysts forecast that Benitec Biopharma will post -1.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Benitec Biopharma

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Suvretta Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Benitec Biopharma by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. Suvretta Capital Management LLC now owns 11,548,351 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $155,556,000 after purchasing an additional 1,671,845 shares during the period. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. increased its stake in Benitec Biopharma by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 2,120,672 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $28,565,000 after purchasing an additional 148,148 shares during the period. RA Capital Management L.P. purchased a new position in Benitec Biopharma in the 4th quarter worth approximately $24,920,000. Nantahala Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Benitec Biopharma by 23.9% in the 4th quarter. Nantahala Capital Management LLC now owns 1,038,371 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $13,987,000 after purchasing an additional 200,276 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Benitec Biopharma by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 992,114 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $13,919,000 after purchasing an additional 22,948 shares during the period. 52.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Benitec Biopharma Company Profile

Benitec Biopharma Ltd (NASDAQ: BNTC) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene-silencing therapies for serious human diseases. The company’s proprietary DNA-directed RNA interference (ddRNAi) platform is designed to enable sustained expression of small RNA molecules that specifically target and silence disease-causing genes. By integrating RNAi sequences directly into DNA constructs, ddRNAi aims to provide a long-term therapeutic effect from a single administration.

Benitec’s lead programs include development of ddRNAi candidates for chronic hepatitis B virus infection and for certain ocular conditions.