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Strength Seen in Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS): Can Its 16.3% Jump Turn into More Strength?

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Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (APLS - Free Report) shares ended the last trading session 16.3% higher at $76.68. The jump came on an impressive volume with a higher-than-average number of shares changing hands in the session. This compares to the stock's 1.5% gain over the past four weeks.

The sudden soaring of stock prices is likely due to a Bloomberg article which claims, Apellis is considering a possible buyout by larger pharma companies. Per the article, the company has been holding discussions with its advisors to evaluate its options for a possible takeover. The article further states that Apellis might also be looking for partnerships or licensing agreements for some of its ophthalmology products. However, in the absence of a statement from Apellis, there is no certainty of any transaction.

This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $1.69 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -19%. Revenues are expected to be $26.09 million, up 81.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Earnings and revenue growth expectations certainly give a good sense of the potential strength in a stock, but empirical research shows that trends in earnings estimate revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements.

For Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised marginally lower over the last 30 days to the current level. And a negative trend in earnings estimate revisions doesn't usually translate into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on APLS going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. belongs to the Zacks Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry. Another stock from the same industry, Provention Bio, Inc. , closed the last trading session 0.8% higher at $24.30. Over the past month, PRVB has returned 194.6%.

Provention Bio, Inc.'s consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at -$0.31. Compared to the company's year-ago EPS, this represents a change of +11.4%. Provention Bio, Inc. currently boasts a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).


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