Taking a quick look at some possible support and resistance levels on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX), we can see that the 52-week high is currently 6.27, and the 52-week low is currently 1.92. When shares are trading close to the 52-week high or 52-week low, investors may be watching for a move through either level. Checking in on recent action, we note that the stock has been trading near the $5.99 level. Investors may also want to keep an eye on historical price activity. During the past 12 weeks, the stock has moved 76.18%. Looking further back to the start of the calendar year, we can see that shares have moved 211.98%. Over the past 4 weeks, shares have seen a change of 26.64%. Over the last 5 trading days, the stock has moved 11.75%. Investors will be monitoring stock activity over the next few sessions to try and decipher which way the momentum is leaning.
Investors might be looking at their stock holdings and trying to gauge which ones will break out to new highs. Many investors will keep a close eye on stocks that are trading near popular marks such as the 52-week high. Stocks trading near 52-week lows also tend to garner additional attention. When a stock is flirting with a new 52-week high, investors may have to decide whether to cash in to lock in profits or wait to see if a breakthrough is going to happen. Companies that are teetering near the 52-week low may be worth taking a look at. Studying the fundamentals may show that the stock should be performing better than it is. This might be the time to think about purchasing shares that for whatever reason may have fallen out of favor with investors. Crunching the numbers and doing full analysis of stocks that have been trending down may help lead to some discoveries that could turn out to be highly valuable if and when the momentum shifts to the upside.
Analysts have set a target price on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX). The current consensus price target is $9.33. Wall Street analysts often provide price target projections on stocks that they cover. Price target projections can be created using a wide variety of methods. Many investors will closely track stock target prices, especially when analysts make updates. A thorough research report will generally offer detailed reasoning for a certain target projection. Some investors may watch sell-side targets very closely and use the information to help with their own stock research.
Sell-side analysts have the capability of providing stock ratings for companies that they cover. According to analysts polled by Zacks Research, the current average broker rating on shares of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX) is 1. This average rating includes analysts who have offered Sell, Buy and Hold ratings on the stock. This rating falls on a numeric scale from 1 to 5. A score of 1 would indicate a Buy recommendation, and a score of 5 would represent a Sell recommendation. Out of all the analysts offering ratings, 6 have pegged the stock a Strong Buy or Buy, based on data provided by Zacks Research.
Tracking the current quarter consensus EPS estimate for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPRX), we have noted that the number is currently .11. This estimate is using 5 contributing analysts polled by Zacks Research. For the last quarter, the company posted a quarterly EPS of .1. Sell-side Wall Street analysts study companies and provide their opinions of where the stock might be going in the future. A lot of weight is given to analyst estimates, and earnings beats or misses revolve around these predictions. Sometimes these estimates are very close to the actual, and other times they are not. When a company announces actual earnings results, a large surprise factor can result in increased volatility. If a company beats estimates and posts a positive earnings surprise, the stock may see a near-term bump in price. On the flip side, a negative surprise may move the stock lower. Based on the unknown, many investors may choose to trade with caution around earnings releases.
Investing in the stock market can be highly unpredictable. Veteran investors may have spent many years studying the market. At some point along the way, many investors may have had to make some tough decisions. Making the tough stock portfolio decisions can seem like a daunting task, especially if some wrong calls have been made in the past. Investors who are able to quickly learn from previous mistakes may be much better situated if they are able to keep from repeating those mistakes. When just starting out, investors may want to go slow and steady in order to focus on the simpler investing ideas first.
