Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $53.95, but opened at $55.66. Sanofi shares last traded at $55.38, with a volume of 328,642 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Sanofi from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Sanofi from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Sanofi to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Sanofi in a report on Friday, March 21st. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $62.50.

Sanofi Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $131.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.88, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 0.57. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $55.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.71.

Sanofi (NASDAQ:SNY) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The company reported $0.70 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.70. Sanofi had a net margin of 12.77% and a return on equity of 25.61%. Equities analysts expect that Sanofi will post 4.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Abel Hall LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 10,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 55,001 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,653,000 after buying an additional 201 shares during the period. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Sanofi by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Keudell Morrison Wealth Management now owns 12,928 shares of the company’s stock worth $624,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Bailard Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sanofi by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 16,359 shares of the company’s stock worth $789,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares during the period. Finally, Old Port Advisors lifted its position in Sanofi by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Old Port Advisors now owns 36,704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,770,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares in the last quarter. 14.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Sanofi

Sanofi, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of therapeutic solutions in the United States, Europe, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines, and Consumer Healthcare segments. The company provides specialty care, such as DUPIXENT, neurology and immunology, rare diseases, oncology, and rare blood disorders; medicines for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases; and established prescription products.