Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) Sees Strong Trading Volume Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Pacira BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCRX) saw unusually-high trading volume on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded the stock from an underweight rating to a neutral rating. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now has a $36.50 price target on the stock. 845,298 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 5% from the previous session’s volume of 808,356 shares. The stock last traded at $36.3150 and had previously closed at $36.39.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Pacira BioSciences from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Pacira BioSciences from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $32.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Pacira BioSciences from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Pacira BioSciences in a report on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $31.44.

Insider Activity at Pacira BioSciences

In other news, insider Jonathan Slonin sold 3,040 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $70,619.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 216,384 shares in the company, valued at $5,026,600.32. This represents a 1.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 6.40% of the company’s stock.

More Pacira BioSciences News

Here are the key news stories impacting Pacira BioSciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Viatris acquisition provides a clear cash exit. Viatris will acquire Pacira for $36.50 per share in cash, valuing the equity at approximately $1.65 billion. The transaction gives shareholders near-term deal certainty and values Pacira’s EXPAREL and ZILRETTA non-opioid pain medicines as strategic additions to Viatris’ portfolio. Closing is expected by the end of 2026. Viatris Agrees to Acquire Pacira BioSciences
• Positive Sentiment: Deal news triggered substantial buying. Reports indicated PCRX jumped about 44% and reached a 52-week high as investors repriced the shares toward Viatris’ $36.50 offer. Pacira BioSciences jumps on Viatris acquisition deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst targets now largely reflect the transaction price. JPMorgan upgraded Pacira from underweight to neutral with a $36.50 target, while HC Wainwright reaffirmed neutral but reduced its target from $38 to $36.50. Jefferies maintained hold with a $36 target, and Needham cut its rating from buy to hold. These actions suggest limited fundamental upside beyond the proposed cash consideration.
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist raised its target to $31 and retained a buy rating, but the target is now below the current deal-related valuation. Pacira receives price target increase from Truist Financial
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder law firms are investigating the transaction. Several firms are questioning whether the $36.50 offer fairly values Pacira, whether the board conducted an adequate sale process, and whether insiders received improper benefits. Such reviews could create legal or closing uncertainty, although they do not currently change the announced offer.
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish options activity was also reported in PCRX, signaling some traders are positioning for limited downside or deal-related uncertainty. Stocks drawing bearish options activity

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pacira BioSciences

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of PCRX. Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Pacira BioSciences during the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Pacira BioSciences in the 1st quarter worth approximately $46,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Pacira BioSciences during the second quarter valued at approximately $78,000. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Pacira BioSciences by 15.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,751 shares of the company’s stock worth $85,000 after buying an additional 492 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in Pacira BioSciences in the second quarter worth approximately $110,000. 99.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Pacira BioSciences Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.76 and a beta of 0.25. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $25.37 and its 200-day simple moving average is $24.51. The company has a quick ratio of 3.94, a current ratio of 5.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Pacira BioSciences (NASDAQ:PCRX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.65 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $192.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $191.06 million. Pacira BioSciences had a return on equity of 9.68% and a net margin of 1.96%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.74 EPS. Analysts predict that Pacira BioSciences, Inc. will post 1.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Pacira BioSciences

Pacira BioSciences, Inc is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid pain-management products. The company’s portfolio is designed to help manage acute and chronic pain while reducing reliance on traditional opioid therapies.

Its principal product is EXPAREL, an extended-release formulation of bupivacaine used to provide postsurgical pain relief. Pacira also markets ZILRETTA, an extended-release corticosteroid injection for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, and the iovera° system, a handheld cryoanalgesia device intended to temporarily block peripheral nerves and provide targeted pain relief.

Originally known as Pacira Pharmaceuticals, the company adopted the name Pacira BioSciences in 2018 to reflect its broader focus on innovative therapies and technologies.