XOMA Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

XOMA (NASDAQ:XOMA) has recently seen an upgrade from StockNews.com, which changed its rating from "sell" to "hold" in a research note released on Friday.

In a separate analysis, HC Wainwright maintained a "buy" rating for XOMA shares and has set a price target of $104.00. This indicates a positive outlook from some analysts regarding the stock’s potential.

XOMA Stock Performance

On Friday, the shares of XOMA experienced a slight decline, falling by $0.18 to reach $20.88 during trading. The day saw a volume of 81,363 shares exchanged, which is significantly higher than its typical volume of 26,540 shares. Over the past year, XOMA has experienced fluctuations, with a recorded low of $19.92 and a high of $35.00. The stock is currently valued at a market cap of approximately $250.12 million and has a negative price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of -6.00. The stock’s beta is measured at 1.00, indicating a level of volatility consistent with the market. Its moving averages stand at $24.37 for the 50-day and $27.14 for the 200-day periods, suggesting some trends in its performance.

In terms of liquidity, XOMA shows a current ratio and a quick ratio both at 7.52, reflecting strong financial health. However, the debt-to-equity ratio is at 1.28, which may warrant further investigation.

Recent Earnings Reports

XOMA last reported its quarterly earnings on March 17th. The biotechnology company posted a loss of ($0.46) earnings per share, which was below analysts' expectations that had anticipated a loss of ($0.29). Additionally, the firm reported a revenue of $8.70 million, slightly below the consensus estimate of $8.75 million. Analysts forecast that XOMA will record an EPS of -1.41 for the current fiscal year, signaling ongoing challenges in financial performance.

Insider Trading Activity

In related news, a major shareholder, Bvf Partners L.P./Il, sold 500,742 shares of XOMA on January 24th, at an average price of $26.10, resulting in a transaction value of approximately $13,069,366.20. This transaction has been disclosed in filings with the SEC. Currently, insiders hold around 7.20% of the company's total shares.

Institutional Investors' Actions

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently adjusted their positions in XOMA. For instance, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake by 0.6% in the third quarter, now owning 182,741 shares valued at about $4.84 million. Barclays PLC significantly boosted its position by 300.7%, now owning 11,256 shares worth approximately $298,000. Other investors like BNP Paribas Financial Markets and State Street Corp also raised their stakes during the same period, with a reported ownership of 1,632 shares valued at $43,000 and 142,857 shares worth about $3.78 million, respectively. Overall, institutional ownership of XOMA stands at an impressive 95.92%, indicating a strong interest in the company among large investors.

About XOMA Corporation

XOMA Corporation operates primarily as a biotech royalty aggregator, focusing on financial rights linked to future milestones and royalty payments from partnered therapeutic candidates. It invests mainly in early to mid-stage clinical assets that show commercial potential and those that are nearing commercialization.

Conclusion

With the recent upgrade from StockNews.com and the affirmations from other analysts, investor sentiment toward XOMA may be shifting. As always, potential investors should conduct their own research before making decisions.

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