Lodestone Wealth Management LLC Invests $8.37 Million in BioNTech SE

Lodestone Wealth Management LLC has made a significant investment in BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) during the third quarter, according to its recent 13F filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 70,500 shares of BioNTech's stock, which amounts to an investment valued at approximately $8,373,000. This investment constitutes 4.1% of Lodestone Wealth Management LLC's total holdings, making BioNTech its largest investment.

Other Investors in BioNTech

In addition to Lodestone Wealth Management, several other institutional investors have made moves regarding BioNTech recently. Covestor Ltd increased its stake by 47.2% in the first quarter, now owning 415 shares valued at around $38,000 following the purchase of an additional 133 shares. Blue Trust Inc. exhibited a noteworthy increase in its position, raising its stake by 491.1% in the third quarter and owning 467 shares worth about $55,000 after adding 388 shares to its holdings.

EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC has also significantly increased its stake by 106.3% during the first quarter, totaling 489 shares valued at approximately $43,000 after the addition of 252 shares. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in BioNTech by 86.9% in the second quarter, bringing its total to 512 shares valued around $41,000 after acquiring an extra 238 shares. Lastly, Crewe Advisors LLC entered the market with a new stake worth about $75,000 in BioNTech in the first quarter. Currently, institutional investors hold approximately 15.52% of BioNTech's stock.

BioNTech's Stock Performance

The stock price of BioNTech opened at $111.48 on Friday. With a market capitalization of $26.51 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.33, the stock has a beta of 0.26. The company's fifty-day moving average stands at $109.72, while the 200-day moving average is at $95.77. BioNTech's quick ratio is 7.40, with a current ratio of 7.54 and a modest debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Over the past year, BioNTech’s stock has encountered a low of $76.53 and a high of $131.49.

Recent Earnings Report

BioNTech reported its quarterly earnings on August 5th, disclosing an earnings per share (EPS) loss of ($3.36), a miss compared to analysts' expectations of ($2.02) by a margin of ($1.34). The company recorded a negative net margin of 18.69% and a negative return on equity of 2.54%. Revenue for the quarter was reported at $128.70 million, below the consensus estimate of $134.98 million, marking a year-over-year decline of 23.3%. Analysts predict that BioNTech SE will have EPS of -2.93 for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings and Future Projections

Numerous research firms have recently updated their ratings on BioNTech. UBS Group elevated its price target from $97.00 to $131.00, assigning a "neutral" rating on September 18th. Similarly, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded their rating from "underweight" to "neutral" with an increased target price from $91.00 to $125.00. TD Cowen also raised its target from $85.00 to $132.00 while maintaining a "hold" rating as of October 21st. Jefferies Financial Group notably shifted from a "hold" rating to a "buy" and raised its price target from $96.00 to $150.00 on September 17th, while HSBC increased its target price from $97.00 to $136.00, also proposing a "buy" rating on October 7th. Currently, MarketBeat data indicates a consensus of five equities research analysts giving a hold rating, eight assigning buy ratings, and one providing a strong buy rating for the stock, resulting in an average rating of "Moderate Buy" with a target price of $135.54.

About BioNTech SE

BioNTech SE is a biotechnology firm that focuses on developing and commercializing immunotherapies targeting cancer and various infectious diseases. The company is actively working on multiple product candidates, including BNT111, currently in Phase II clinical trials for advanced melanoma, and BNT112, which is in Phase I/IIa trials for prostate cancer. Other candidates include BNT113 for HPV 16+ head and neck cancers, BNT114 for triple-negative breast cancer, and BNT115, which is undergoing Phase I trials for ovarian cancer.

For those considering investing, it is worth noting that while BioNTech is rated as a "Moderate Buy" by many analysts, there are top-rated stocks that research analysts believe may present better opportunities.

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