Key Points
- CEO Christopher Kroeger sold 23,701 shares on May 6 at an average price of $28.76 for about $681,640, leaving him with 1,580,820 shares (a 1.48% ownership decline).
- Multiple insiders also sold shares May 4–6, which may add near‑term supply pressure, though the transactions were executed under pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plans (weakening the signal that the sales reflect new negative company information).
- Analyst and financial backdrop: the stock has an average analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with a $34.43 average price target versus the recent ~$29 price, but Maplight reported a large EPS miss (($2.47) vs. ($1.05) expected) and is forecast to post roughly -3.96 EPS for the year.
Maplight Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MPLT - Get Free Report) CEO Christopher Kroeger sold 10,472 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.20, for a total value of $295,310.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,604,521 shares of the company's stock, valued at $45,247,492.20. The trade was a 0.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
Maplight Therapeutics Stock Up 4.0%
Shares of MPLT opened at $29.04 on Thursday. Maplight Therapeutics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $12.24 and a 52 week high of $33.28. The company has a market cap of $1.24 billion and a PE ratio of -0.73. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $22.60.
Maplight Therapeutics (NASDAQ:MPLT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 26th. The company reported ($2.47) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($1.05) by ($1.42). On average, research analysts anticipate that Maplight Therapeutics, Inc. will post -3.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Maplight Therapeutics News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Maplight Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright opened/updated coverage and issued detailed quarterly and FY estimates alongside a Buy rating and a $45 price target (implies ~55% upside from the recent price); the report provides a near‑term analyst catalyst and a bullish valuation anchor. HC Wainwright coverage (MarketBeat)
- Positive Sentiment: Needham reaffirmed its Buy rating on MPLT, reinforcing sell‑side support that can sustain buying interest. Needham reaffirmation (The Globe and Mail)
- Neutral Sentiment: Morningstar quote/coverage appears in the tape (useful for tracking consensus/third‑party data) but contains no new fundamental update by itself. Morningstar MPLT quote
- Negative Sentiment: Significant insider selling reported May 4–6: CEO Christopher Kroeger sold multiple blocks (~23,701 shares on May 6 and earlier sales), CFO Vishwas Setia, and insiders James W. Lillie and Erin P. Foff also sold material stakes. These transactions reduce insider holdings and may add near‑term supply pressure, though each sale was made under pre‑arranged Rule 10b5‑1 plans (which weakens the signal that sales reflect new negative company information). See CEO Form 4 filing. CEO Form 4 (SEC)
- Negative Sentiment: Additional insider Form 4 filings for James W. Lillie and Erin P. Foff confirm multi‑day sales at similar prices (May 4–6). Investors should monitor total sold vs. remaining insider ownership and trading volume to gauge impact. James W. Lillie Form 4 (SEC)
Analyst Ratings Changes
Several research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on Maplight Therapeutics in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. They set a "buy" rating and a $37.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Maplight Therapeutics in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Maplight Therapeutics from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 21st. HC Wainwright assumed coverage on Maplight Therapeutics in a research report on Monday. They set a "buy" rating and a $45.00 target price for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group assumed coverage on Maplight Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, March 19th. They set a "buy" rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Maplight Therapeutics presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $34.43.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on MPLT
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Maplight Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey bought a new position in shares of Maplight Therapeutics in the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. New York State Common Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Maplight Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at about $93,000. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Maplight Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at about $172,000. Finally, Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Maplight Therapeutics in the 4th quarter valued at about $205,000.
About Maplight Therapeutics
(
Get Free Report)
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating central nervous system, or CNS, disorders. We were founded by globally recognized leaders in psychiatry and neuroscience research to address the lack of circuit-specific pharmacotherapies available for patients. Our discovery platform holds the potential to fill this void by identifying neural circuits causally linked to disease and targeting those circuits for therapeutic modulation.
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