MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX) Sees Strong Trading Volume After Analyst Upgrade
by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat GemShares of MeiraGTx Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:MGTX – Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday after Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on the stock from $16.00 to $24.00. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Approximately 623,122 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 13% from the previous session’s volume of 549,177 shares.The stock last traded at $10.1330 and had previously closed at $9.48.
A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Chardan Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $35.00 price objective on shares of MeiraGTx in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Wall Street Zen upgraded MeiraGTx from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, April 5th. Zacks Research raised shares of MeiraGTx from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of MeiraGTx from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of MeiraGTx in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MeiraGTx currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $25.00.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on MeiraGTx
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, insider Stuart Naylor sold 27,661 shares of MeiraGTx stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $9.36, for a total transaction of $258,906.96. Following the transaction, the insider owned 668,505 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,257,206.80. The trade was a 3.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Alexandria Forbes sold 62,000 shares of MeiraGTx stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $7.41, for a total value of $459,420.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,449,695 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,742,239.95. The trade was a 4.10% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 7.50% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about MeiraGTx
Here are the key news stories impacting MeiraGTx this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on MGTX to $24 and upgraded the stock to “outperform,” implying roughly a 138% upside from the recent share price — a headline catalyst for buying interest. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: MeiraGTx announced it acquired botaretigene sparoparvovec (bota‑vec) from Johnson & Johnson for the treatment of X‑linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP), adding a potentially valuable, late‑stage retina asset to its pipeline and strengthening its rare‑disease franchise. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: MeiraGTx reported positive three‑year data from its Phase 1 AQUAx study of AAV‑hAQP1 for radiation‑induced xerostomia — clinical durability that de‑risks a lead program and supports the company’s commercial opportunity case. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Coverage and analysis pieces (Seeking Alpha) are highlighting the commercial potential of AAV‑hAQP1 and the company’s vertically integrated platform, which can amplify investor interest ahead of further clinical milestones. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Press reports (The Pharma Letter / MSN) note MeiraGTx has regained rights to the eye‑disease program from J&J and is integrating the asset into its development plan — a strategic fit but integration and regulatory path remain to be executed. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: MeiraGTx priced an underwritten offering of 11,111,111 ordinary shares at $9.00 to raise about $100M gross. The equity raise is dilutive and typically exerts near‑term pressure on the stock despite strengthening the company’s cash runway for development/launch activities. Article Title
Hedge Funds Weigh In On MeiraGTx
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of MeiraGTx in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of MeiraGTx by 43.8% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,810 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,466 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in shares of MeiraGTx by 390.9% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,797 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 7,005 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new position in MeiraGTx during the fourth quarter worth about $94,000. Finally, Abel Hall LLC bought a new stake in MeiraGTx in the 4th quarter worth about $98,000. 67.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
MeiraGTx Trading Up 7.1%
The firm has a market capitalization of $826.76 million, a P/E ratio of -7.13 and a beta of 1.27. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $8.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $8.11.
MeiraGTx (NASDAQ:MGTX – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 26th. The company reported $0.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.60) by $0.79. MeiraGTx had a negative net margin of 140.31% and a negative return on equity of 1,065.47%. The firm had revenue of $75.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.87 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that MeiraGTx Holdings PLC will post -1.48 EPS for the current year.
About MeiraGTx
MeiraGTx Holdings plc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing gene therapies for the treatment of rare diseases. Founded in 2014 as an outgrowth of research at University College London, the company focuses on leveraging adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver functional genes to target tissues. MeiraGTx’s pipeline spans ocular, central nervous system and systemic indications, addressing conditions such as inherited retinal dystrophies and neurodegenerative disorders that currently lack effective therapies.
The company’s lead programs include AAV-based candidates designed to restore or replace defective genes underlying rare retinal diseases and to modulate cellular pathways in neurological disorders.