Cue Biopharma (NASDAQ:CUE) Raised to Hold at Zacks Research

Cue Biopharma (NASDAQ:CUE) was upgraded by analysts at Zacks Research to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Cue Biopharma from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. B. Riley Financial began coverage on shares of Cue Biopharma in a report on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $83.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Cue Biopharma from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $83.00.

Cue Biopharma Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ CUE opened at $30.90 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $29.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.05. The company has a market cap of $224.33 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.14 and a beta of 2.45. Cue Biopharma has a 1-year low of $4.97 and a 1-year high of $45.50.

Cue Biopharma (NASDAQ:CUE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 14th. The company reported ($24.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($1.69) by ($22.45). The firm had revenue of $7.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.00 million. Cue Biopharma had a negative return on equity of 620.06% and a negative net margin of 435.83%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Cue Biopharma will post -32.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Cue Biopharma

In related news, CEO Shao-Lee Lin sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.10, for a total transaction of $1,084,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 724,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $19,627,256.30. This trade represents a 5.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, VP Michael Vincent Meluzio sold 5,628 shares of Cue Biopharma stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.09, for a total transaction of $169,346.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 48,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,473,236.49. This trade represents a 10.31% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 72,715 shares of company stock worth $2,041,555. 14.56% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cue Biopharma

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CUE. ADAR1 Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cue Biopharma during the second quarter worth about $1,742,000. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Cue Biopharma in the second quarter valued at about $1,824,000. Texas Capital Bank Wealth Management Services Inc acquired a new stake in Cue Biopharma in the second quarter valued at about $722,000. Citadel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Cue Biopharma by 301.8% in the 2nd quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 25,633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $809,000 after purchasing an additional 38,333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Cue Biopharma in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 35.04% of the company’s stock.

Cue Biopharma News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Cue Biopharma this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Phase 2 efficacy: CUE-221 met the primary goal in a CSU study, with 54% of patients achieving complete hive resolution after 12 weeks. The result was reported as statistically significant versus Xolair, with p<0.005, supporting the candidate’s potential as a differentiated treatment. Cue Biopharma Meets Primary Goal in a Phase 2 Study of Chronic Hives Disease Drug Candidate
• Positive Sentiment: Large commercial opportunity and upcoming catalysts: Analysts highlighted CUE-221’s dual mechanism of action, its apparent efficacy relative to Xolair, and potential applications in CSU and food allergy. Investors may look ahead to 36-week pharmacokinetic and IgE data in 2026, followed by planned global Phase 2b/3 studies. Cue Biopharma: Initiating Buy Based on CUE-221 Trial Win
• Neutral Sentiment: Volatile market reaction: Coverage described an initial surge in CUE shares followed by swings as investors took profits. The unusually high trading volume reflects substantial repositioning after the clinical announcement rather than a new fundamental setback. Cue Biopharma Stock Swings After Positive CUE-221 Phase 2 Data
• Negative Sentiment: Execution and valuation risks remain: Despite the positive topline data, some coverage characterized the share-price decline after the initial rally as unwarranted, while the pullback underscores investor concerns about profit-taking, clinical-development risk, and the need to confirm durability in longer follow-up and later-stage trials. An Orexin Drug’s Proof of Concept in ADHD; Cue’s Unwarranted Share Slide

About Cue Biopharma

Cue Biopharma, Inc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics that selectively activate and regulate antigen-specific T cells inside the body. Its approach is designed to direct the immune system toward cancer cells while potentially reducing the broad immune activation and toxicity associated with conventional immunotherapies.

The company’s proprietary Immuno-STAT (Selective Targeting of Antigens for Remodeling of T cells) platform uses biologic molecules that combine peptide-major histocompatibility complex components with immune-modulating signals.