aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYR) Sees Large Decrease in Short Interest

aTyr Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATYR) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totaling 8,277,406 shares, a decrease of 42.9% from the June 30th total of 14,505,076 shares. Currently, 9.0% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,945,452 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.3 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Paul Schimmel purchased 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $0.50 per share, with a total value of $50,000.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 779,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $389,571.50. This trade represents a 14.72% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 5.75% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On aTyr Pharma

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in aTyr Pharma in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in aTyr Pharma in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of aTyr Pharma by 35.9% in the 4th quarter. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC now owns 50,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 13,385 shares in the last quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of aTyr Pharma during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in aTyr Pharma during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $49,000. 61.72% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ATYR shares. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of aTyr Pharma from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of aTyr Pharma from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of aTyr Pharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, aTyr Pharma presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.00.

aTyr Pharma Trading Down 1.8%

aTyr Pharma stock traded down $0.01 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $0.48. 156,106 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,057,393. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.55 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.66 and a beta of 0.52. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $0.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.71. aTyr Pharma has a fifty-two week low of $0.40 and a fifty-two week high of $6.50.

aTyr Pharma (NASDAQ:ATYR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 15th. The company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.16) by $0.05. Equities analysts anticipate that aTyr Pharma will post -0.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

aTyr Pharma Company Profile

aTyr Pharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel protein-based therapies that modulate the extracellular matrix and immune pathways. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company applies its proprietary Extracellular Modulation® platform to identify and optimize biologic candidates for the treatment of rare and serious diseases, including pulmonary sarcoidosis, muscular dystrophy, and solid tumors.

The company’s research efforts are centered on harnessing extracellular proteins to regulate tissue remodeling, cell adhesion, and immune signaling.