Key Points
- John Kozarich sold 467 shares of Ligand on Jan. 2 at an average price of $189.58 for $88,533.86, leaving him with 43,654 shares (a 1.06% reduction) valued at about $8.28M.
- Ligand reported a strong quarter, posting $3.09 EPS vs. $1.96 expected and revenue of $86.89M (up 123% YoY), and set FY2025 guidance of $7.40–$7.65 EPS.
- Analyst and market sentiment is positive: the stock is up ~2.1%, has a $3.86B market cap, a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $239.33 (six Buys, one Hold), and roughly 91% institutional ownership.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND - Get Free Report) Director John Kozarich sold 467 shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.58, for a total value of $88,533.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 43,654 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,275,925.32. This represents a 1.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Stock Up 2.1%
Shares of NASDAQ:LGND opened at $196.02 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 24.30, a current ratio of 24.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a market cap of $3.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 94.70 and a beta of 0.97. Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has a 12 month low of $93.58 and a 12 month high of $212.49. The company's 50-day moving average price is $196.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $168.67.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LGND - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The biotechnology company reported $3.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.96 by $1.13. Ligand Pharmaceuticals had a net margin of 19.34% and a return on equity of 5.71%. The company had revenue of $86.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $58.71 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.84 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 123.0% on a year-over-year basis. Ligand Pharmaceuticals has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.400-7.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated will post 1.73 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research analysts have commented on LGND shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $270.00 target price on the stock. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $175.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. HC Wainwright boosted their price target on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $206.00 to $231.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals from $190.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $239.33.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on LGND
Institutional Trading of Ligand Pharmaceuticals
A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LGND. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 25.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,120 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $644,000 after purchasing an additional 1,256 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 26.2% in the 1st quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,841 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $299,000 after buying an additional 589 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals in the 1st quarter valued at $344,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,660 shares of the biotechnology company's stock valued at $1,121,000 after buying an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in Ligand Pharmaceuticals by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 55,327 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $5,817,000 after buying an additional 4,926 shares during the period. 91.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Ligand Pharmaceuticals Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company that acquires, develops and out-licenses proprietary technologies designed to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies discover and develop novel medicines. Operating primarily through its research services and royalty-generating businesses, Ligand focuses on building a diversified portfolio of technology platforms and partnering with industry leaders to advance therapeutic candidates across multiple disease areas.
The company's product offerings center around several core platforms.
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