Rafael (NYSE:RFL) Shares Up 4.2% – Still a Buy?

Rafael Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:RFL)’s stock price was up 4.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $2.59 and last traded at $2.3870. 182,359 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 53% from the average session volume of 119,023 shares. The stock had previously closed at $2.29.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RFL has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rafael in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Rafael to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Sell rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Sell”.

Rafael Trading Up 4.2%

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.81. The company has a market cap of $124.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.51 and a beta of 0.40.

Institutional Trading of Rafael

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in RFL. Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in Rafael in the second quarter valued at $50,000. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Rafael by 132.3% in the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 72,584 shares of the company’s stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 41,335 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its position in shares of Rafael by 59.1% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 89,138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $111,000 after buying an additional 33,111 shares in the last quarter. Cable Car Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Rafael during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $173,000. Finally, Kahn Brothers Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Rafael during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $494,000. 11.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Rafael

Rafael Holdings, Inc primarily engages in holding interests in clinical and early-stage pharmaceutical companies, and commercial real estate assets in the United States and Israel. It operates in two segments, Healthcare and Real Estate. The company engages in the development and commercialization of therapies that exploit the metabolic differences between normal cells and cancer cells. Its lead drug candidate is CPI-613 (devimistat), currently under Phase III clinical study for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.