Short Interest in Atyr PHARMA INC (NASDAQ:ATYR) Rises By 27.1%

Atyr PHARMA INC (NASDAQ:ATYR) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 440,900 shares, an increase of 27.1% from the August 15th total of 346,800 shares. Approximately 0.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 387,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.1 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Atyr PHARMA

In other news, Director Paul Schimmel purchased 41,052 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 22nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $1.74 per share, for a total transaction of $71,430.48. Following the purchase, the director now owns 354,075 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $616,090.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 3.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ATYR shares. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Atyr PHARMA in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Atyr PHARMA in a research note on Thursday, September 5th. They set a “buy” rating and a $9.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, HC Wainwright reissued a “buy” rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Atyr PHARMA in a report on Thursday, August 15th.

Atyr PHARMA Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of Atyr PHARMA stock traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, hitting $1.90. The stock had a trading volume of 247,219 shares, compared to its average volume of 461,821. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, a quick ratio of 7.63 and a current ratio of 7.63. Atyr PHARMA has a 12 month low of $1.08 and a 12 month high of $2.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $131.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.11 and a beta of 1.22. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $1.87.

Atyr PHARMA (NASDAQ:ATYR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.24) by $0.01. As a group, equities analysts expect that Atyr PHARMA will post -0.91 EPS for the current year.

About Atyr PHARMA

aTyr Pharma, Inc, a biotherapeutics company, engages in the discovery and development of medicines based on novel immunological pathways in the United States. Its lead therapeutic candidate is efzofitimod, a selective modulator of NRP2 that is in Phase III clinical trial for pulmonary sarcoidosis; and in Phase 1b/2a clinical trial for treatment of other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), such as chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and connective tissue disease related ILD.