Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) Rating Increased to Buy at Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $90.00 price target on the medical research company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $75.00.

Several other research analysts also recently issued reports on EW. Barclays lifted their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $85.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 2nd. Wolfe Research cut Edwards Lifesciences from a “peer perform” rating to an “underperform” rating and set a $60.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Thursday, January 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $72.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Edwards Lifesciences from $81.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Edwards Lifesciences presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $79.19.

Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EW opened at $73.15 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.14 billion, a PE ratio of 10.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 1.11. Edwards Lifesciences has a fifty-two week low of $58.93 and a fifty-two week high of $96.12. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $72.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 2.89 and a current ratio of 3.46.

Insider Transactions at Edwards Lifesciences

In other Edwards Lifesciences news, insider Larry L. Wood sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.91, for a total value of $1,647,750.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 198,526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,084,848.66. The trade was a 11.18 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Donald E. Bobo, Jr. sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.57, for a total value of $327,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 46,936 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,077,593.52. This trade represents a 9.63 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 33,000 shares of company stock valued at $2,195,180. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Edwards Lifesciences

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FSA Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Edwards Lifesciences in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 138.7% during the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 530 shares of the medical research company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the period. Finally, Peoples Bank KS bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Institutional investors own 79.46% of the company’s stock.

Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names.