Avantor Stock Jumps As Activist Investor Urges Sale, Board Shake-Up, And Cost Cuts
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 11 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Engine Capital's Recommendations: Engine Capital LP, a significant shareholder in Avantor Inc., has urged the company to consider a sale, refresh its board, increase share repurchases, cut costs, and divest non-core assets due to operational missteps and poor shareholder returns.
Stock Performance and Strategic Value: Avantor's stock has underperformed since its IPO, trading near all-time lows, while Engine Capital estimates its strategic value at $17-$19 per share, significantly higher than its current price, suggesting that a turnaround or sale could yield better outcomes for shareholders.
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Analyst Views on AVTR
Wall Street analysts forecast AVTR stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AVTR is 12.30 USD with a low forecast of 8.00 USD and a high forecast of 17.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
13 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
9 Hold
2 Sell
Hold
Current: 10.920
Low
8.00
Averages
12.30
High
17.00
Current: 10.920
Low
8.00
Averages
12.30
High
17.00
About AVTR
Avantor, Inc. is a life science tools company and global provider of mission-critical products and services to the life sciences and advanced technology industries. The Company’s segments include Laboratory Solutions and Bioscience Production. Within its segments, it sells materials and consumables, equipment and instrumentation and services and specialty procurement to customers in the biopharma and healthcare, education and government and advanced technologies and applied materials industries. Materials and consumables include ultra-high purity chemicals and reagents, lab products and supplies, highly specialized formulated silicone materials, customized excipients, and others. Equipment and instrumentation include filtration systems, virus inactivation systems, incubators, analytical instruments, and others. Services and specialty procurement include onsite lab and production, equipment, procurement and sourcing and biopharmaceutical material scale-up and development services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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Avantor Executives Under Investigation for Breach of Fiduciary Duties
- Fiduciary Duty Investigation: Kuehn Law, PLLC is investigating whether Avantor, Inc. executives breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders, with allegations that could impact corporate governance and shareholder confidence.
- False Competitive Positioning: A federal securities lawsuit claims insiders at Avantor failed to disclose that the company's competitive positioning was weaker than publicly represented, potentially leading to investor misjudgment regarding the company's prospects.
- Negative Competitive Pressures: Avantor is reportedly experiencing adverse effects from increased competition, and the failure to disclose this information may result in shareholder losses in investment decisions, affecting the company's stock performance.
- Shareholder Rights Protection: Kuehn Law urges shareholders to contact attorneys promptly to protect their rights, emphasizing the importance of participation, which could influence future shareholder litigation and corporate governance structures.
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