Exploring Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR) Investor Profile: Who’s Buying and Why?

You're looking at Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR) right now, seeing a stock trading near its 52-week low of $5.43 in November 2025, but you're wondering why major institutional players are still holding on, or even adding. Honestly, this is a classic biotech conundrum: a high-risk, high-reward profile where the smart money is mapping the long game. We've seen a massive net institutional inflow over the last twelve months, with $116.30M in new money coming in against just $9.56M in outflows, a clear sign of accumulation despite the recent price pressure. So, who is buying? The latest Q3 2025 filings show giants like BlackRock, Inc. holding 2,870,172 shares and Vanguard Group Inc. with 2,206,719 shares, anchoring the institutional base of 237 total owners. This is the big question: are these institutions simply riding the volatility, or are they banking on the consensus analyst price target of $21.50, which implies a staggering 283.9% upside from the current $5.60 price? The Q3 2025 earnings per share (EPS) loss of ($0.54) is a near-term headwind, but does the conviction of these major funds-coupled with that huge price target-suggest a deeper belief in the Phase 3 clinical trial for their lead candidate, deramiocel? Let's dig into the 13F filings to see defintely what they know that the market is currently ignoring.

Who Invests in Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR) and Why?

If you are looking at Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR), you are essentially betting on a binary event: the success of their Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) program, Deramiocel. The investor base reflects this high-stakes, catalyst-driven profile, split between retail speculators and institutional funds focused on the long-term rare disease payoff.

The core takeaway is that the stock is overwhelmingly driven by retail enthusiasm and short-term hedge fund activity right now, but the recent institutional buying shows a growing conviction in the Q4 2025 clinical data readout. You need to understand who holds the shares to anticipate volatility, defintely.

Key Investor Types and the Ownership Mix

The ownership structure of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. is characteristic of a clinical-stage biotechnology company, where the public-individual investors like you-holds the majority of the risk and potential reward. While the institutional presence is significant, it doesn't dominate the float.

According to recent data, approximately 80.49% of the stock is held by Public Companies and Individual Investors, which is a massive retail component. This means news, social media sentiment, and upcoming catalysts can cause wild swings. Institutional ownership, including mutual funds and hedge funds, sits around 21.7%.

Here's a quick look at the major players and their roles:

• Institutional Investors: Large index funds like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. own shares, often through passive index tracking funds. However, active funds, including hedge funds like Citadel Advisors Llc, also hold positions, suggesting a more speculative, event-driven strategy.
• Hedge Funds: These are the short-term speculators. We've seen funds like Octagon Capital and GSA Capital Partners LLP recently buy new or increased stakes. But, the market also saw an unusually high volume of 17,427 put options purchased on a single day in November 2025, which points to significant hedging or outright bearish bets on the near-term clinical trial results.
• Retail Investors: The largest group, they are generally long-term holders or short-term traders drawn by the potential for an explosive return if the Phase 3 trial is successful. They are the engine of the stock's volatility.

Investment Motivations: The Binary Bet on Deramiocel

The motivation for investing in Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. boils down to a single, powerful growth prospect: the potential approval of Deramiocel (CAP-1002) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cardiomyopathy. This is a classic biotech play-zero revenue now for a massive payoff later.

The company reported $0 in revenue for the third quarter of 2025, a result of the prior recognition of milestone payments from their partner Nippon Shinyaku. The focus is entirely on the pipeline, which is expensive. The net loss for the first nine months of 2025 was approximately $74.9 million.

The investment thesis is built on three pillars:

• Market Position: Deramiocel is aimed at the cardiomyopathy (heart damage) that ultimately claims the lives of nearly all DMD patients, a complication with no approved treatments. First-mover status in a rare disease market is a huge opportunity.
• Near-Term Catalyst: Topline results from the pivotal HOPE-3 Phase 3 study are expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. This is the moment of truth.
• Partnership and Payouts: The partnership with NS Pharma includes potential FDA-approval milestones up to $80 million and sales-based payouts that could reach up to $605 million. That's a clear financial roadmap post-approval.

The company's cash position of approximately $98.6 million as of September 30, 2025, is expected to fund operations into the fourth quarter of 2026, which is crucial as they await approval and potential commercial launch in 2026. This cash runway buys them time and reduces the near-term risk of a dilutive equity raise.

Investment Strategies: High-Risk, High-Reward

Given the company's profile, the typical strategies employed by investors are not about dividends or value investing in the traditional sense; they are purely speculative and growth-oriented. The average analyst price target sits around $22.25, which implies a massive upside from the current price, but this is entirely contingent on the clinical data.

Here's how the different investor groups are playing it:

The long-term holders are looking past the current losses to the potential blockbuster revenue stream from Deramiocel, plus the upside from the StealthX™ exosome platform. The company's Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR) clearly outlines their focus on transformative cell and exosome-based therapeutics, reinforcing the long-term biotech growth narrative.

Your action now is simple: Wait for the HOPE-3 data. If you are a long-term investor, you must be prepared for the stock to drop significantly if the results disappoint, or to soar if they are positive. If you are a short-term trader, you are already watching the options market for the next big move.

Institutional Ownership and Major Shareholders of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR)

You want to know who is betting big on Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR), and the simple answer is that institutional money is a significant, but not dominant, force here. As of the third quarter of 2025, institutional investors hold approximately 31.90% of the total shares outstanding, representing about 14,582,060 shares, which gives them a substantial voice, but retail investors still hold sway.

For a clinical-stage biotechnology company like Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., the institutional investor profile is defintely a key signal of professional confidence in its pipeline, especially the lead candidate Deramiocel for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Top Institutional Investors and Their Stakes

The largest institutional holders of Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. are the big index fund managers and a few select hedge funds. These passive and active giants anchor the stock, providing a baseline of demand. BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. lead the pack, which is typical for most publicly traded US companies due to their massive index-tracking funds.

Here's a quick look at the top institutional holders as of September 30, 2025, based on their 13F filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC):

Recent Shifts: Buying, Selling, and New Entrants

The recent trading activity tells a story of both caution and conviction. While some long-term holders trimmed their positions in the third quarter of 2025, several active managers and hedge funds took new or significantly increased stakes.

For instance, State Street Corp made a notable cut, decreasing its position by over 45%, selling 665,341 shares. BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. also slightly reduced their holdings, decreasing by 3.817% and 4.267%, respectively. This is often just portfolio rebalancing, but it's still selling pressure.

But on the buy side, you saw strong conviction:

• Pier Capital, Llc increased its stake by over 35% in Q3 2025.
• National Bank Of Canada /Fi/ had a massive increase of over 135% in Q3 2025.
• Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position by 39.5% in the first quarter of 2025.
• Jump Financial LLC increased its stake by 42.6% in the second quarter of 2025.
• J. Goldman & Co Lp and Dg Capital Management, Llc both established new, multi-million dollar positions in Q3 2025.

This mix of selling by large passive funds and aggressive buying by active funds suggests a split view on the near-term outlook, but the new entrants signal a belief in the company's long-term value proposition. You can read more about the company's background and mission here: Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

The Role of Institutional Investors in Strategy and Price

Institutional investors play a crucial role, even when they don't hold a majority stake. Their buying and selling patterns can significantly affect the stock price, especially in a relatively smaller-cap biotech stock like Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., which has a market capitalization of around $254 million as of November 2025.

When you see institutional buying, like the increases from Goldman Sachs and Jump Financial, it often provides a floor for the stock price and signals validation of the company's strategy. Conversely, large sales, like the one from State Street Corp, can create downward pressure. The big money moves the needle.

Also, these large holders can influence corporate strategy. While they generally hold passive stakes (Schedule 13G filings), their large voting blocs can still sway shareholder votes on key issues like executive compensation, board composition, or major financing decisions. However, with individual investors holding a substantial 47% stake, retail sentiment also has a much larger-than-usual impact on this stock's volatility.

Key Investors and Their Impact on Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR)

The investor profile for Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR) is a fascinating mix, heavily weighted toward retail investors but anchored by a few major institutional players and one critical strategic partner. The direct takeaway is this: the stock's volatility is high because a large portion of its ownership is retail, but the long-term trajectory is significantly influenced by the strategic backing of a major pharmaceutical company and the conviction of specialized biotech funds.

As a seasoned analyst, I see the institutional ownership sitting around the 21.7% mark for hedge funds and other institutions, while some data suggests total institutional ownership is closer to 30.08%. This is a relatively low institutional float for a biotech with a market capitalization around $257.85 million, meaning retail investors hold a massive majority-around 80.49% of the stock. That high retail ownership is defintely why you see those wild daily swings.

The Strategic Anchor: Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd.

The most important investor influencing Capricor Therapeutics, Inc.'s future is not a typical fund, but a strategic partner: Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (SHINYAKU CO LTD NIPPON). This relationship is a massive vote of confidence, especially for a clinical-stage company developing a cell therapy like deramiocel (CAP-1002) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Their influence is immediate and operational. They have an exclusive commercialization agreement for deramiocel in the U.S. and Japan, which is the company's primary path to revenue. In a major insider move, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. purchased a substantial block of 2,798,507 shares for an estimated value of nearly $15.0 million. This kind of capital injection from a partner, not an open market sale, stabilizes the balance sheet and signals strong commitment to the product's success.

Institutional Giants and Recent Positioning

When you look at the 13F filings for the third quarter of 2025 (ending September 30, 2025), you see the usual suspects, but their recent moves tell a story of caution and selective accumulation ahead of the pivotal Phase 3 data readout for deramiocel, expected in Q4 2025.

Here's the quick math on the largest institutional holders and their Q3 2025 activity:

You see a clear divergence. Big index funds like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc made minor trims, which is typical portfolio rebalancing. But State Street Corp. made a significant cut, reducing its stake by over 45%. This suggests some large, generalist funds are de-risking ahead of the clinical trial data, which is a near-term binary event. The stock is a pure play on deramiocel right now, so a Phase 3 outcome will either send it soaring or crashing.

The Opportunistic Funds: Buying the Catalyst

On the flip side, several smaller, more specialized funds are increasing their stakes or initiating new positions, betting on a positive outcome for the HOPE-3 trial. They are buying the catalyst.

• Octagon Capital Advisors LP: Bought a new stake valued at approximately $4,270,000 in the first quarter of 2025.
• GSA Capital Partners LLP: Purchased a new position in the third quarter of 2025 worth about $1,555,000.
• Raymond James Financial Inc.: Increased its position dramatically by 1,629.9% in the third quarter, now holding 191,292 shares valued at $1,379,000.

These moves show a high-conviction trade. With the company reporting a net loss of $24.6 million in Q3 2025 and having only about $98.6 million in cash as of September 30, 2025, the success of deramiocel is absolutely crucial. These funds are betting that the potential reward outweighs the risk, especially with the company's cash runway expected to last into the fourth quarter of 2026. This is a classic biotech investment: a high-stakes bet on a single, transformative drug.

If you want a deeper dive into the company's foundation, you should check out its history and business model: Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money. It helps frame why these investors are willing to take such a targeted risk.

Market Impact and Investor Sentiment

You're looking at Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR), a clinical-stage biotech, and trying to figure out if the smart money is still in. The short answer is nuanced: professional analysts are overwhelmingly bullish, but the recent market action shows a clear undercurrent of retail investor anxiety and bearish hedging.

The consensus sentiment from Wall Street analysts is a Strong Buy or Moderate Buy, which is a powerful signal. As of November 2025, the average price target sits around $21.25 to $23.17, implying a massive upside of over 300% from the recent trading price of approximately $5.69. That's a huge vote of confidence in their lead product, Deramiocel, for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

But here's the quick math on the risk: the stock was trading near its 52-week low of $5.43 in November 2025, down sharply from a 52-week high of $20.75. This disconnect between analyst price targets and the actual stock price suggests the market is waiting for one thing: the topline data from the pivotal HOPE-3 Phase 3 study, expected in late 2025. The market is defintely on edge.

The Ownership Structure: Retail vs. Institution

The investor profile for Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. is unusual for a company of this size, and it's a key factor in the stock's volatility. Individual investors-the general public-hold the largest slice of the pie at a substantial 47% of shares outstanding, giving them a collective, albeit fragmented, say in the company's direction. Institutions, the big players like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc, hold a respectable 40%.

The largest single shareholder, however, is Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd., a public company that holds approximately 11% of the stock, reflecting their strategic partnership for the U.S. distribution of Deramiocel. You can read more about this relationship and the company's background in Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (CAPR): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

This ownership split means that while institutions provide a floor of professional interest, the retail crowd's quick reactions to news-good or bad-can create dramatic price swings. The stock moves fast on catalysts.

• Retail Investors: Own 47%, driving high volatility.
• Institutional Investors: Own 40%, providing professional backing.
• Largest Single Shareholder: Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. with 11%.

Recent Market Reactions and Volatility Signals

The stock market's reaction to recent events has been a textbook example of a high-beta biotech stock awaiting a major clinical readout. When the company reported its Q3 2025 financial results on November 10, 2025, the stock immediately dropped 7.33% on the day. Why? Because the net loss widened to $24.6 million for the quarter, or $0.54 per share, and revenue was $0, as all prior milestone payments from Nippon Shinyaku were fully recognized in 2024.

Still, the stock popped back up in after-hours trading following management's optimistic commentary about the imminent HOPE-3 data. This tells you the market is trading on potential, not current financials.

Another telling sign of near-term risk is the options market: investors bought an unusually large volume of put options in November 2025-a 207% increase over the average-suggesting a significant amount of bearish hedging or outright speculation on a price drop. This is a clear indicator that while the long-term thesis is strong, the near-term is fraught with uncertainty.

Analyst Perspectives on Key Investors' Impact

Analysts see the institutional ownership, especially the strategic stake held by Nippon Shinyaku, as a stabilizing and validating force. Nippon Shinyaku's 11% ownership is a clear signal of their long-term commitment to Deramiocel, which they plan to distribute in the U.S. This partnership de-risks the commercialization path, even as the company burns cash on R&D-operating expenses rose to $26.3 million in Q3 2025.

The analysts' 'Strong Buy' ratings are fundamentally tied to the success of the HOPE-3 trial and the subsequent potential for a Biologics License Application (BLA) resubmission to the FDA. The average price target of over $21 is essentially a valuation based on a high probability of Deramiocel's approval and a 2026 commercial launch. For you, this means the key investor impact isn't just who owns the shares, but the conviction of the largest strategic owner, Nippon Shinyaku, in the product pipeline. Their capital and commercial readiness are a huge plus.