TLDR
- CEO Samarth Kulkarni sold 90,000 CRISPR Therapeutics shares across two days: 30,000 at $51.75 (Jan 20) and 60,000 at $60.23 (Jan 22), totaling $5.17 million
- The sales reduced Kulkarni’s direct ownership by 40%, dropping from 224,201 shares to 134,201 shares
- CRSP fell 5.8% to $57.29 following the disclosure, with trading volume 62% below average at 681,870 shares
- Bank of America trimmed its price target to $89 from $90 while keeping a Buy rating
- Wall Street consensus shows 12 Buy, 8 Hold, and 2 Sell ratings with a $68.15 average price target
CRISPR Therapeutics witnessed insider selling activity this week that pushed shares lower. CEO Samarth Kulkarni offloaded a total of 90,000 shares in two separate transactions.
The first sale occurred on January 20. Kulkarni sold 30,000 shares at $51.75 each, generating $1.55 million. Two days later on January 22, he sold another 60,000 shares at $60.23 per share for $3.61 million.
Combined, the transactions brought in approximately $5.17 million. The sales were disclosed through SEC filings as required by law.
The transactions slashed Kulkarni’s stake considerably. After the January 20 sale, he held 194,201 shares directly. Following the second sale, his position dropped to 134,201 shares. That represents a 40% reduction from his previous holdings of 224,201 shares.
Stock Price Reaction
Investors didn’t take the news well. CRSP shares dropped 5.8% during Friday’s session. The stock touched an intraday low of $57.21 before settling at $57.29.
Trading activity remained muted. Only 681,870 shares traded hands throughout the day. That’s a 62% decline from the typical daily volume of 1.8 million shares.
The stock currently trades below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The 50-day average sits at $54.88 while the 200-day stands at $58.35.
CRISPR Therapeutics has a 52-week range of $30.04 to $78.48. The current price puts shares roughly in the middle of that range.
Analyst Views
Bank of America made a small adjustment to its outlook. The firm lowered its price target from $90 to $89. Despite the reduction, BofA maintained its Buy rating.
Analyst Alec Stranahan cited slightly reduced 2026 expectations for Casgevy. However, the firm still anticipates sequential growth throughout the year.
Wall Street remains split on the stock. Twelve analysts rate it a Buy. Eight have Hold ratings and two recommend selling. The average price target across all analysts is $68.15.
That target implies roughly 19% upside from current levels. Individual targets vary widely across the Street.
Citigroup holds a Buy rating with a $77 target. Royal Bank of Canada rates it sector perform at $50. Robert W. Baird has a neutral stance with a $44 target.
Citizens JMP assigned a market outperform rating with an $86 price objective. The range of targets reflects uncertainty about the company’s near-term prospects.
Company Metrics
CRISPR Therapeutics holds a market cap of $5.42 billion. The biotech operates with a beta of 1.70, indicating higher volatility than the market.
Recent quarterly results showed a loss of $1.17 per share. That beat expectations of a $1.32 loss. Revenue totaled just $0.89 million, well below the $8.74 million forecast.
The company posted a negative net margin of 1,273.70%. Return on equity came in at negative 21.23%. Analysts project a full-year loss of $5.16 per share.
Institutional investors own 69.20% of outstanding shares. Several funds adjusted positions in the third quarter. Optiver Holding boosted its stake by 71.4%. Bogart Wealth increased holdings by 333.3%.
Bank of America’s $89 price target represents the most recent analyst action on CRSP stock.
