NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 4:58 p.m. ET — Market closed (U.S. equities are shut for the weekend)
CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ: CRSP) heads into the final trading stretch of 2025 with investors balancing two forces that often define biotech stocks: headline-driven momentum and long-duration fundamental risk. The stock finished the most recent regular session (Friday, Dec. 26) at $55.08, down 2.87%, after trading between $56.54 and $53.76. In after-hours trading, CRSP was last shown around $55.24 late Friday evening. [1]
That Friday move came against a holiday-thinned tape on Wall Street. Reuters described the broader market session as light-volume and nearly unchanged, with the major indexes only marginally lower as investors tracked the “Santa Claus rally” window into early January. [2]
For CRISPR Therapeutics stock specifically, the most notable fresh catalyst in the past 24–48 hours wasn’t a clinical readout or regulatory headline—it was flow: Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest disclosed a meaningful add to CRSP exposure, a signal many retail and momentum traders watch closely heading into the next open. [3]
What’s new in the last 24–48 hours: ARK’s CRSP buy and weekend positioning
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest adds CRSP
According to an Investing.com report citing ARK’s daily trade disclosures for Friday, ARK bought 23,170 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics—19,965 shares into ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) and 3,205 shares into ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG)—a combined purchase valued at roughly $1.31 million. [4]
A third-party ARK trade tracker (Cathie’s Ark) also shows CRSP as a Dec. 26 “Buy” in both ARKK and ARKG, listing approximate market values of about $1.1M in ARKK and $176.8K in ARKG for that date. [5]
ARK itself emphasizes that it publishes holdings files daily and offers trade notifications to subscribers—useful context for why ARK-related moves often show up in weekend stock conversations and Monday morning watchlists. [6]
Why it matters for Monday: In a holiday-light market, flows can matter more than usual. With only a handful of sessions left in 2025, investors often see exaggerated moves—especially in high-beta biotech names—when liquidity is thinner.
The bigger market backdrop: thin year-end trading, “Santa Claus rally,” and biotech beta
CRSP’s Friday slide happened while the broader market remained close to highs amid subdued post-Christmas trading. Reuters quoted Carson Group chief market strategist Ryan Detrick describing the action as the market “catching our breath” after a strong run, while noting the seasonal “Santa Claus rally” period that historically spans the year’s final trading days and the first two of the new year. [7]
For CRSP, that context matters because gene-editing equities often trade with outsized sensitivity to risk-on/risk-off shifts—especially when there isn’t a near-term binary catalyst (like an FDA decision) scheduled for the immediate week.
The fundamental story investors are still digesting: Zugo‑cel update and Lilly collaboration
Even though it’s slightly older than the last 48 hours, the most consequential company-specific catalyst driving current commentary remains CRISPR Therapeutics’ Dec. 22 pipeline update on zugocaptagene geleucel (zugo‑cel; formerly CTX112)—a wholly owned, off‑the‑shelf allogeneic CD19 CAR‑T program the company is pushing into autoimmune disease and oncology.
In its announcement, CRISPR Therapeutics highlighted:
- Early autoimmune observations including rapid, deep B‑cell depletion and “significant clinical improvement” at Day 28 assessments in treated patients, plus a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient meeting a remission definition through Month 6. [8]
- In relapsed/refractory large B‑cell lymphoma (LBCL), single‑agent activity at the 600M cell dose with ORR 90% (9/10) and CRR 70% (7/10), and some durability in complete responses after one year on study. [9]
- A collaboration and clinical supply agreement with Eli Lilly to evaluate zugo‑cel in combination with pirtobrutinib for aggressive B‑cell lymphomas. [10]
- A clear reminder on timing: additional updates across autoimmune disease and hematologic malignancies are expected in the second half of 2026, implying fewer near-term data “sparks” than some traders might assume. [11]
CRISPR’s Chief Medical Officer Naimish Patel, M.D. framed the update as encouraging on tolerability and breadth of opportunity (autoimmune plus oncology), while signaling the company intends to share more data at future scientific meetings. [12]
Investor takeaway: The zugo‑cel narrative is increasingly important because it positions CRISPR Therapeutics as more than a one‑asset story. But it also pushes key proof points further out on the calendar—meaning the stock may trade more on sentiment, flows, and broader biotech risk appetite in the near term.
Insider signal to know: CFO Prasad Raju’s Form 4 sale
Another headline still circulating in recent market write-ups is an insider sale filed this week. On an SEC Form 4 dated Dec. 22 (filed Dec. 23), CRISPR Therapeutics CFO Prasad Raju reported selling 10,000 common shares in three tranches at weighted average prices of approximately $55.1022, $56.3345, and $56.8858, leaving 6,767 shares beneficially owned directly after the transactions shown. [13]
The filing also indicates the transactions were made pursuant to a Rule 10b5‑1 plan. [14]
How investors typically interpret this: Form 4 selling can weigh on sentiment, but 10b5‑1 sales are often read differently than discretionary, “in-the-moment” sales—especially in biotech where executives may sell for diversification or tax planning. Still, in a low-liquidity week, insider headlines can influence short-term trading psychology.
CRSP’s revenue reality check: CASGEVY economics and commercialization watchpoints
CRISPR Therapeutics remains widely associated with CASGEVY (exa-cel), the first approved therapy to emerge from its long-running collaboration with Vertex. In CRISPR’s SEC-filed materials, the company states that under an amended collaboration agreement, Vertex leads global development, manufacturing, and commercialization of CASGEVY and the parties share program costs and profits worldwide 60/40 (with CRISPR receiving 40%). [15]
That framework matters for CRSP investors because it shapes how quickly commercialization traction can translate into meaningful financial results for CRISPR Therapeutics—especially as the company continues to fund a broad R&D pipeline.
Forecasts and analyst outlook: where Wall Street sees CRSP heading into 2026
Consensus: “Hold,” but with upside implied by targets
MarketBeat’s compiled Wall Street view lists a consensus rating of “Hold” based on 22 analyst ratings, with an average 12‑month price target of $68.35—about 24% upside from the last close around $55.08. [16]
Recent highlight: Needham reiterates “Buy” with an $80 target
A MarketBeat recap of analyst actions reports that Needham & Company LLC reiterated a Buy rating with an $80 price target (as reported by Benzinga), implying significant upside versus current levels. [17]
GuruFocus also reports that Needham analyst Gil Blum reaffirmed a Buy rating and maintained an $80.00 target on Dec. 23, while summarizing a broader range of recent biotech analyst stances (including mixed target adjustments from other firms). [18]
Why targets vary so widely in gene editing
CRSP price targets tend to spread out because analysts are effectively placing different probabilities on:
- the speed and scale of CASGEVY adoption (and what it means for CRISPR’s share of economics), [19]
- whether wholly owned programs like zugo‑cel can create the next value inflection, and how soon, [20]
- and the cost of running a multi‑program platform in a higher-rate world where biotech funding discipline matters.
If you’re watching CRSP into the next session: what to know before Monday’s open
Because U.S. stock markets are closed on weekends, the next key “moment” for CRSP price discovery will be Monday’s return to electronic trading—especially in premarket where biotech names can gap on headlines and flows. U.S. equities typically trade in a core window of 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET on business days (with extended hours activity outside that window depending on venue and broker). [21]
Here are the practical items CRSP investors commonly track heading into the next open:
- Flow follow-through after ARK’s buy:
With ARK’s disclosed purchase now widely circulated, traders will watch whether there’s any copycat buying or unusual options positioning early Monday. [22] - Year-end market mechanics:
Reuters’ description of low-volume, end-of-year trading conditions is important—thin liquidity can amplify moves in both directions. [23] - The next earnings waypoint (estimated):
MarketBeat lists CRISPR Therapeutics’ next earnings date as estimated Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 (before market opens), noting the company has not confirmed the date. [24] - Holiday schedule into early 2026:
Investors planning around the year turn should note markets are closed on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2026), and that trading holiday adjustments can affect liquidity and volatility. [25]
Key risks that can move CRSP quickly
CRSP is still a biotech stock where narratives can shift quickly. Among the recurring risks highlighted across market commentary and valuation debates:
- Clinical and regulatory risk: early signals don’t always translate into durable late-stage outcomes, particularly in autoimmune indications where endpoints, durability, and safety are scrutinized. [26]
- Commercial execution risk: the market remains sensitive to whether CASGEVY’s ramp meets expectations, especially given the therapy’s complexity and real-world access dynamics. [27]
- Catalyst timing risk: with the company itself pointing to additional zugo‑cel updates in the second half of 2026, sentiment can drift between major data events. [28]
- Valuation debate: Simply Wall St’s Dec. 26 write-up argues the stock trades at a discount to some target frameworks but cautions that setbacks (including a slower-than-expected CASGEVY ramp) could challenge the bull case. [29]
Bottom line
CRISPR Therapeutics stock enters the next session setup with a clear near-term narrative: ARK bought, the broader market is navigating thin year-end liquidity, and investors are still incorporating the implications of CRISPR’s late‑December zugo‑cel update and its new Lilly combination work—while also noting the CFO’s 10b5‑1-flagged insider sale. [30]
With the market closed today, CRSP’s next real test will come when liquidity returns Monday—where flow-driven momentum can matter, but fundamentals (commercial traction, pipeline execution, and the long timeline to major new datasets) remain the core drivers for 2026. [31]
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.investing.com, 4. www.investing.com, 5. cathiesark.com, 6. www.ark-funds.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.globenewswire.com, 9. www.globenewswire.com, 10. www.globenewswire.com, 11. www.globenewswire.com, 12. www.globenewswire.com, 13. www.sec.gov, 14. www.sec.gov, 15. www.sec.gov, 16. www.marketbeat.com, 17. www.marketbeat.com, 18. www.gurufocus.com, 19. www.sec.gov, 20. www.globenewswire.com, 21. www.nyse.com, 22. www.investing.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.investopedia.com, 26. www.globenewswire.com, 27. www.sec.gov, 28. www.globenewswire.com, 29. simplywall.st, 30. www.investing.com, 31. www.marketbeat.com
