NantKwest (NASDAQ:NK) Trading Down 7.2%

NantKwest, Inc. (NASDAQ:NK)’s stock price fell 7.2% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $12.97 and last traded at $13.33. 2,279,990 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 20% from the average session volume of 1,905,080 shares. The stock had previously closed at $14.36.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BidaskClub downgraded shares of NantKwest from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Zacks Investment Research upgraded NantKwest from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th.

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $9.77. The company has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -18.77 and a beta of 2.52.

In other NantKwest news, Director John C. Thomas sold 42,592 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $10.83, for a total value of $461,271.36. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 207,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,246,975.91. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Barry J. Simon sold 130,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.05, for a total value of $2,346,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 3,300,540 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $59,574,747. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 72.08% of the company’s stock.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. UBS Group AG increased its stake in shares of NantKwest by 183.1% during the second quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 15,712 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $193,000 after purchasing an additional 10,162 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in NantKwest during the 2nd quarter valued at about $258,000. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in NantKwest by 150.0% in the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 5,000 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new position in NantKwest in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $324,000. Finally, State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System purchased a new position in NantKwest in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $139,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 9.22% of the company’s stock.

NantKwest Company Profile (NASDAQ:NK)

NantKwest, Inc, a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, develops immunotherapeutic treatments for cancer and viral infectious diseases in the United States. The company develops activated natural killer (aNK) cell, a natural killer cell-line and genetically modified derivative capable of killing cancer and virally infected cells; and Nant cancer vaccine, a personalized therapy that utilizes its off-the-shelf natural killer cells.

Further Reading: Short Selling Stocks and Day Traders