DURECT (NASDAQ:DRRX) Earns Sell Rating from Analysts at StockNews.com

StockNews.com began coverage on shares of DURECT (NASDAQ:DRRX) in a report released on Thursday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock.

Separately, HC Wainwright reissued a neutral rating on shares of DURECT in a report on Thursday, September 26th.

DURECT Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ:DRRX opened at $1.30 on Thursday. DURECT has a twelve month low of $0.47 and a twelve month high of $3.14. The company’s 50 day moving average is $1.38 and its 200 day moving average is $1.30. The company has a market cap of $40.35 million, a PE ratio of -1.37 and a beta of 1.13.

DURECT (NASDAQ:DRRX) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The specialty pharmaceutical company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by $0.05. DURECT had a negative net margin of 187.80% and a negative return on equity of 261.43%. The firm had revenue of $2.17 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.46) earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that DURECT will post -0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of DURECT

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in DURECT by 41.3% in the second quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 21,550 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 6,300 shares in the last quarter. Accredited Investors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of DURECT in the 2nd quarter valued at about $113,000. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in DURECT by 10.8% in the 1st quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 256,220 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $310,000 after purchasing an additional 25,000 shares during the period. Gagnon Securities LLC boosted its position in DURECT by 6.0% during the first quarter. Gagnon Securities LLC now owns 380,131 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock worth $460,000 after purchasing an additional 21,425 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Richmond Brothers Inc. grew its holdings in DURECT by 48.2% in the first quarter. Richmond Brothers Inc. now owns 768,344 shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $930,000 after purchasing an additional 250,050 shares during the period. 28.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

DURECT Company Profile

DURECT Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, develops medicines based on its epigenetic regulator program. The company's lead product larsucosterol (DUR-928), an endogenous, orally bioavailable small molecule that is in Phase IIb clinical trial to play a regulatory role in lipid metabolism, stress and inflammatory responses, and cell death and survival to treat alcohol-associated hepatitis, as well as completed Phase Ib clinical trial to treat patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.