Quince Therapeutics Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NASDAQ:QNCX)

Quince Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:QNCX) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Stock traders bought 3,396 put options on the company. This is an increase of 107% compared to the typical volume of 1,642 put options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nantahala Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Quince Therapeutics during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,172,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in Quince Therapeutics by 1,152.9% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,386,776 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,260,000 after purchasing an additional 1,276,094 shares during the period. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Quince Therapeutics by 442.1% during the third quarter. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC now owns 775,034 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,263,000 after purchasing an additional 632,076 shares in the last quarter. Almitas Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Quince Therapeutics in the third quarter valued at approximately $806,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Quince Therapeutics by 21.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,763,387 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 309,349 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 30.75% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on QNCX shares. Citizens Jmp reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Quince Therapeutics in a research note on Friday. Citigroup downgraded shares of Quince Therapeutics from a “market outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday. D. Boral Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $5.00 price objective on shares of Quince Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Quince Therapeutics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $8.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Quince Therapeutics

Here are the key news stories impacting Quince Therapeutics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: D. Boral Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and reiterated a $5.00 price target — a bullish analyst view that highlights potential long-term upside if any assets or corporate actions crystallize value. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Quince issued a Business Wire release announcing topline results from the pivotal Phase 3 NEAT trial of eDSP in Ataxia‑Telangiectasia (the company’s lead program). The release triggered news-related activity and should be read for the company’s official wording on endpoints and next steps. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: The company recently presented long-term safety data for eDSP at a pediatric neurology meeting — useful context on safety but overshadowed by the Phase 3 outcome. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple trading halts (news pending and LULD pauses) occurred during the session, indicating the market was digesting material trial news and causing volatility/illiquidity. (Regulatory halt notices timestamped around 03:06–03:51 PM ET.)
• Negative Sentiment: Media reports indicate the Phase 3 NEAT trial failed to meet its endpoints and Quince is ending development of its lead drug candidate; those reports explain the severe intra‑day share decline and materially change the company’s value proposition. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from MarketWatch and MSN likewise reports that Quince has ended development of its lead candidate and that shares plunged, reinforcing negative investor reaction and raising questions about cash runway and corporate remediation. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Citizens JMP downgraded QNCX from “mkt outperform” to “market perform,” signaling a reduction in analyst conviction following the trial outcome and adding downward pressure on sentiment. Article Title

Quince Therapeutics Stock Performance

QNCX stock traded down $0.07 during trading on Friday, reaching $0.20. The company had a trading volume of 19,278,921 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,155,936. Quince Therapeutics has a twelve month low of $0.18 and a twelve month high of $4.55. The company has a market cap of $11.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.17 and a beta of 1.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $3.29 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2.26.

Quince Therapeutics (NASDAQ:QNCX) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 12th. The company reported ($0.25) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.20) by ($0.05). Sell-side analysts expect that Quince Therapeutics will post -1.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Quince Therapeutics Company Profile

Quince Therapeutics, Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on acquiring, developing, and commercializing therapeutics for patients with debilitating and rare diseases. The company's lead asset candidature comprises EryDex for the treatment of rare pediatric neurodegenerative disease, including A-T, an inherited autosomal recessive neurodegenerative and immunodeficiency disorder caused by mutations in ATM gene. Its AIDE technology platform, a drug/device combination platform that uses an automated process to encapsulate a drug into a patient's own red blood cells, as well as consists of an automated equipment the RCL, a sterile single-use consumable treatment kit comprising EryKit, Syringe Kit, drugs, and process solutions.