Entities affiliated with the Carlyle Group (NASDAQ:CG) Inc. have executed a series of transactions selling shares in QuidelOrtho Corp (NASDAQ:QDEL), a company specializing in in vitro and in vivo diagnostic substances. The sales, which occurred on July 18th and 19th, have a combined total value exceeding $5.7 million.
The shares were sold at varying prices, with the price per share ranging between $32.93 and $35.0852. On July 18th, a total of 101,870 shares were sold in multiple transactions, with prices per share reported as weighted averages. Specifically, 53,224 shares were sold at an average price of $33.4592, 32,989 shares at $34.7526, and 15,657 shares at $35.0852. The following day, on July 19th, the entities continued to sell shares with 1,500 shares going for $32.93 each, 21,182 shares at an average price of $33.5406, and 42,954 shares at $34.4528 per share.
The entities involved in these transactions are part of a complex ownership structure under the Carlyle Group Inc., a global investment firm. The shares sold were held by Carlyle Partners VI Cayman Holdings, L.P., which is part of a chain of entities leading up to the Carlyle Group Inc. According to the footnotes in the SEC filing, each entity within this structure may be deemed to share beneficial ownership of the securities held by Carlyle Partners VI Cayman Holdings, L.P., but each disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities.
The sales were conducted in accordance with a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which was adopted on May 12, 2024. This plan allows company insiders to set up a predetermined schedule to sell company stocks, which is designed to prevent any accusations of insider trading.
Investors often monitor the buying and selling activities of company insiders and large shareholders for insights into the company's financial health and future performance. The transactions reported in these filings provide transparency and help maintain fair markets.
In other recent news, diagnostics company QuidelOrtho reported mixed results for Q1 2024, with total revenue decreasing to $711 million due to a drop in COVID-19 related sales. However, despite lower overall revenue, the company experienced growth in other areas, excluding COVID-19 products. As part of a cost-cutting strategy, QuidelOrtho has initiated significant headcount reductions aimed at saving $100 million annually.
Newly appointed President and CEO Brian Blaser is focusing on enhancing customer satisfaction, profitability, and market competitiveness. The company has temporarily suspended its financial guidance, allowing the new CEO to reassess the business and strategize for the remainder of the year.
QuidelOrtho's Point-of-Care and Molecular Diagnostics segments showed notable growth, and the company is also focusing on expanding its product offerings. The firm expects improvement in cash flow in the second half of 2024 and has revised its COVID-19 revenue forecast for the year to $150 million. These are among the recent developments in the company's operations.
InvestingPro Insights
QuidelOrtho Corp (NASDAQ:QDEL) has been navigating a complex market landscape, reflected in the recent insider sales by entities affiliated with the Carlyle Group Inc. As investors scrutinize these transactions for signs of the company's financial health, real-time data from InvestingPro offers additional context to these equity movements.
InvestingPro Data shows that QuidelOrtho has a market capitalization of $2.37 billion, signaling a significant presence in the diagnostics sector. However, the company's P/E ratio stands at a negative 1.34, indicating that it has been unprofitable in the last twelve months as of Q1 2024. This is further underscored by a negative adjusted P/E ratio of -9.84 for the same period. Despite recent challenges, the company has managed a 9.16% return over the last week, suggesting a potential rebound or positive investor sentiment in the short term.
InvestingPro Tips highlight the company's significant debt burden, which investors should consider when evaluating the risk profile of their investment. Moreover, QuidelOrtho does not pay a dividend to shareholders, which may influence the investment decisions of income-focused investors. On a more positive note, analysts predict the company will be profitable this year, and there is a high shareholder yield, which could be attractive to certain investors looking for potential gains.
For those seeking more in-depth analysis, InvestingPro offers additional insights on QuidelOrtho Corp, including the fact that 5 analysts have recently revised their earnings downwards for the upcoming period. To access these and other valuable tips, interested readers can use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription. InvestingPro currently lists 9 additional tips for QuidelOrtho, which could further guide investors in their decision-making process.
Understanding these metrics and tips can provide investors with a more nuanced view of QuidelOrtho's position in the market, especially in the wake of the insider sales conducted under the Carlyle Group's structured trading plan.
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