Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Strong-Buy Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note released on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Barclays raised their price target on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.50 to $2.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on Pacific Biosciences of California from $1.80 to $2.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $2.20.

Pacific Biosciences of California Trading Down 4.2%

NASDAQ PACB opened at $1.61 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $486.08 million, a PE ratio of -0.87 and a beta of 2.27. Pacific Biosciences of California has a 1-year low of $0.85 and a 1-year high of $2.73. The company has a current ratio of 6.24, a quick ratio of 5.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 17.88. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $2.01 and a 200-day moving average of $1.78.

Pacific Biosciences of California (NASDAQ:PACB) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The biotechnology company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.07. Pacific Biosciences of California had a negative net margin of 341.47% and a negative return on equity of 251.75%. The company had revenue of $44.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $44.60 million. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Pacific Biosciences of California will post -0.72 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Pacific Biosciences of California news, insider Oene Mark Van sold 129,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.58, for a total transaction of $205,068.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 1,797,745 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,840,437.10. This trade represents a 6.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Christian O. Henry sold 331,793 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1.58, for a total transaction of $524,232.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 2,814,374 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,446,710.92. This represents a 10.55% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 707,731 shares of company stock worth $1,128,762 over the last three months. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Pacific Biosciences of California

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California in the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Cibc World Markets Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Zacks Investment Management purchased a new stake in shares of Pacific Biosciences of California during the third quarter valued at $25,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its holdings in Pacific Biosciences of California by 47.9% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 20,663 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 6,695 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP purchased a new position in Pacific Biosciences of California in the 4th quarter worth about $40,000.

Key Pacific Biosciences of California News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacific Biosciences of California this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Genomics sector tailwind — Zacks published a roundup arguing genomics and synthetic-biology stocks deserve portfolio consideration in 2026, supporting longer‑term demand for sequencing platforms like PacBio’s systems. Genomics Stocks That Deserve a Place in Your Portfolio in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional accumulation — Large funds (ARK, Millennium, Renaissance, Casdin) materially increased or initiated PACB positions in recent quarters, which can provide liquidity support and signal conviction from some professional investors. MarketBeat PACB institutional holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming investor event — PacBio will present at the TD Cowen Health Care Conference on March 2; management commentary there could provide updated commercialization or adoption metrics but nothing material has been released yet. PacBio at TD Cowen Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix — Recent notes show modest price‑target upgrades to ~$2.00 from some shops while consensus remains “Hold” with an average PT ~ $2.20; mixed coverage limits a catalytic analyst push. PACB analyst coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling — Director/insider Christian O. Henry sold ~472,667 shares across Feb. 17–18 (~$753k proceeds). High‑profile insider sales at this scale often pressure the stock. Christian O. Henry Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider exits — Oene Mark Van sold ~184,897 shares (Feb. 17–18) and Michele Farmer sold ~50,167 shares (Feb. 17–18); the combined insider reductions may amplify negative sentiment short‑term. Oene Mark Van Form 4 Michele Farmer Form 4

About Pacific Biosciences of California

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc develops, manufactures and sells high-performance DNA sequencing systems for genetic and genomic analysis. The company’s proprietary single-molecule, real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology is designed to enable long-read sequencing, offering high accuracy for applications such as de novo genome assembly, transcriptome characterization and structural variation analysis. Pacific Biosciences markets a suite of instruments, including the Sequel and Sequel IIe systems, alongside reagents, consumables and data analysis software to support a range of life science research.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, Pacific Biosciences has expanded its global reach by serving academic institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and government research centers across North America, Europe and Asia.