Key insights
- Twist Bioscience CEO Emily Leproust sold approximately $3.21 million in company stock via a pre-arranged trading plan after exercising stock options. While the sales occurred near the stock's 52-week high and the company reported strong revenue growth, an EPS miss and the CEO's significant sale could signal potential overvaluation or a lack of confidence in near-term upside, despite the stock's recent gains. This insider selling, especially after a substantial run-up, may act as a bearish signal for the stock.
Emily M. Leproust, Chief Executive Officer of Twist Bioscience Corp (NASDAQ:TWST), recently sold common stock totaling approximately $3.21 million following the exercise of employee stock options. These transactions, which occurred on May 26 and May 27, 2026, were executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sales came as the stock trades near its 52-week high of $66.94, following a remarkable 127% gain over the past year. According to InvestingPro analysis, the stock appears overvalued at current levels relative to its Fair Value.
On May 26, Ms. Leproust acquired 24,282 shares of Twist Bioscience common stock by exercising employee stock options at a price of $8.82 per share. Concurrently, she sold all 24,282 shares for a weighted average price of $65.0789 per share. The sales prices for this block of shares ranged from $65.00 to $65.505.
The following day, May 27, Ms. Leproust acquired an additional 25,017 shares through option exercises, also at $8.82 per share. She subsequently sold 23,752 of these shares at a weighted average price of $65.2392 per share, with prices ranging from $65.00 to $65.93. An additional 1,265 shares were sold at a weighted average price of $66.2813 per share, with prices for this portion ranging from $66.09 to $66.72.
In total, Ms. Leproust acquired 49,299 shares through option exercises at a total cost of $434,817. She then sold all 49,299 shares for a combined total of $3,213,653. Following these transactions, her direct ownership in Twist Bioscience common stock stands at 846,872 shares. The stock has since climbed to $69.03, representing a 6% increase from the sale prices. For deeper insights into TWST’s valuation and performance metrics, investors can access the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro.
In other recent news, Twist Bioscience reported its second-quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings, highlighting strong revenue growth despite a significant earnings per share (EPS) miss. The company achieved total revenues of $111 million, marking a 19% increase year-over-year and surpassing the consensus estimate of $108 million. However, the EPS was reported at -$0.71, falling short of the forecasted -$0.48. Following these results, TD Cowen raised its price target for Twist Bioscience to $68 from $58, maintaining a Buy rating, citing the revenue beat as a key factor. Additionally, Leerink increased its price target to $80 from $70, keeping an Outperform rating, after the company’s Investor Day. During this event, Twist Bioscience management projected revenue to reach approximately $1 billion by fiscal year 2031. This projection suggests a compound annual growth rate exceeding 16%. These developments reflect a positive outlook from analysts despite the recent EPS miss.
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