Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) Director John Dr Climax Sells 841 Shares

Icon Plc (NASDAQ:ICLR) Director John Dr Climax sold 841 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.29, for a total transaction of $138,167.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,087 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $342,873.23. This trade represents a 28.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Icon Stock Performance

Icon stock opened at $167.17 on Thursday. Icon Plc has a 12-month low of $66.57 and a 12-month high of $203.91. The company has a market capitalization of $12.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.86 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.95 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $161.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $134.18.

Icon (NASDAQ:ICLR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The medical research company reported $2.56 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $2.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2 billion. Icon had a net margin of 3.99% and a return on equity of 8.02%. The firm’s revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.26 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Icon Plc will post 9.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ICLR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. TD Cowen increased their price target on Icon from $164.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Citigroup upped their target price on Icon from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Leerink Partners set a $145.00 target price on Icon in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Icon from $130.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Icon from $125.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $170.40.

Trending Headlines about Icon

Here are the key news stories impacting Icon this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Icon’s latest quarterly results modestly exceeded expectations. Adjusted EPS was $2.56 versus the $2.55 consensus, while revenue reached $2.06 billion, above the $2.00 billion estimate. Revenue increased 2.3% year over year, providing evidence of continued demand for its outsourced clinical-research services.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment includes several bullish targets. BMO Capital Markets raised its target to $187 and Mizuho increased its target to $190, while William Blair upgraded the stock to “strong buy.” The broader analyst consensus remains “Hold,” with an average target of $170.40. Analyst coverage article
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider selling was widespread but appears largely administrative: CEO Barry Balfe sold 382 shares for about $62,675, CFO Nigel Clerkin sold 2,267 shares for approximately $372,445, and several directors also sold shares. The SEC filings state that the transactions were made to cover tax-withholding obligations tied to vested equity awards. Executives and directors retained shares afterward. Icon CFO insider sale
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest was zero shares, indicating no measurable short-selling pressure or potential short-covering catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the quarterly revenue beat, EPS declined from $3.26 in the comparable prior-year period. ICLR also trades at a relatively high valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio near 39 and a PEG ratio above 6, leaving the stock sensitive to any slowdown in growth or weaker guidance.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Icon

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in shares of Icon by 26.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,637,137 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $811,499,000 after purchasing an additional 975,268 shares during the last quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Icon by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Orbis Allan Gray Ltd now owns 4,214,661 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $767,996,000 after purchasing an additional 75,843 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Icon by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,756,896 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $684,582,000 after purchasing an additional 329,266 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in Icon by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,311,771 shares of the medical research company’s stock valued at $366,481,000 after purchasing an additional 310,236 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Icon by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 2,993,336 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $545,410,000 after buying an additional 239,808 shares during the last quarter. 95.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Icon

Icon plc (NASDAQ: ICLR) is a global provider of outsourced drug development and clinical research services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. The company partners with clients at all stages of the product life cycle, offering expertise in protocol design, trial execution and regulatory compliance across a broad range of therapeutic areas.

Icon’s service portfolio encompasses clinical trial management, data management and biostatistics, medical imaging, pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring, laboratory sciences and specialized analytical solutions.