HC Wainwright Boosts Earnings Estimates for Aura Biosciences

Aura Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:AURA) – HC Wainwright boosted their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Aura Biosciences in a research note issued on Tuesday, August 11th. HC Wainwright analyst A. Maldonado now anticipates that the company will earn ($0.37) per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of ($0.50). HC Wainwright has a “Buy” rating and a $18.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for Aura Biosciences’ current full-year earnings is ($1.73) per share. HC Wainwright also issued estimates for Aura Biosciences’ Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.38) EPS, FY2026 earnings at ($1.71) EPS, FY2027 earnings at ($1.63) EPS, FY2028 earnings at ($1.24) EPS, FY2029 earnings at ($0.31) EPS and FY2030 earnings at $0.56 EPS.

Aura Biosciences (NASDAQ:AURA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 11th. The company reported ($0.48) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.38) by ($0.10).

Several other research firms have also commented on AURA. Leerink Partners set a $17.00 price target on shares of Aura Biosciences in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Aura Biosciences from a “sell (e+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Aura Biosciences from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aura Biosciences currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.50.

Aura Biosciences Price Performance

Shares of AURA stock opened at $7.75 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $6.98 and its 200 day moving average is $6.72. Aura Biosciences has a 1-year low of $4.73 and a 1-year high of $9.53. The company has a market cap of $801.66 million, a P/E ratio of -4.43 and a beta of 0.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Anthony S. Gibney sold 12,824 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $6.42, for a total transaction of $82,330.08. Following the sale, the insider owned 265,354 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,703,572.68. The trade was a 4.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Corporate insiders own 1.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Aura Biosciences

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AURA. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Aura Biosciences in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,424,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new stake in Aura Biosciences during the 2nd quarter worth about $297,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Aura Biosciences during the 2nd quarter worth about $842,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in Aura Biosciences by 150.3% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 91,075 shares of the company’s stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 54,694 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Water Island Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Aura Biosciences during the 3rd quarter valued at about $64,000. 96.75% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Aura Biosciences

Here are the key news stories impacting Aura Biosciences this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright raised its earnings forecasts across the outlook period. The firm reduced its projected losses for fiscal 2026 through 2029 and now expects positive EPS of $0.56 in 2030, compared with a prior estimate of a $0.76 loss. HC Wainwright maintained a “Buy” rating, although it lowered its price target to $18 from $24. HC Wainwright forecast for Aura Biosciences
• Positive Sentiment: Aura’s lead therapy remains the main potential catalyst. The company is developing bel-sar for early choroidal melanoma. Its Phase 3 CoMpass trial is fully enrolled, with topline data expected in the second half of 2027; prior Phase 2 results showed 80% tumor control and a favorable safety profile. Aura also raised $299 million, which is expected to fund operations into 2029 and reduce near-term financing risk. Aura Biosciences ocular oncology update
• Neutral Sentiment: Management is refocusing the company on ocular oncology. Aura replaced members of its executive team and eliminated approximately 20% of its workforce. The changes could improve cost discipline and operational focus, but they also highlight ongoing efforts to conserve cash while the company advances its clinical program. Aura workforce reduction and leadership changes
• Negative Sentiment: Aura reported a larger-than-expected quarterly loss. EPS was negative $0.48 versus the consensus estimate of negative $0.38, underscoring that the company remains unprofitable and dependent on clinical and regulatory progress. Aura Biosciences second-quarter results
• Negative Sentiment: HC Wainwright’s price-target reduction limits the immediate bullish impact. While the firm retained its Buy rating and still sees substantial potential upside, the cut from $24 to $18 reflects a more cautious valuation view.

Aura Biosciences Company Profile

Aura Biosciences is a clinical?stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel virus?like particle (VLP) therapies for the treatment of cancer. By combining proprietary VLP technology with photoactivatable dyes, Aura aims to deliver highly selective photodynamic therapies that target and destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue. The company’s platform is designed to address solid tumors in both ophthalmic and non?ophthalmic settings, leveraging precision activation via near?infrared light to induce localized tumor cell apoptosis and stimulate anti?tumor immune responses.

The lead product candidate, AU-011, is being evaluated in patients with choroidal melanoma, a rare but potentially sight-threatening eye cancer.