Key Points
- CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of United Therapeutics at an average price of $575.40, totaling about $5.47 million. After the sale, Rothblatt’s direct ownership fell by 19% to 40,513 shares.
- The stock was down 1.5% in Friday trading, opening at $562.09, even as the company’s market cap remained near $23.86 billion. United Therapeutics is still trading close to its 52-week high of $609.35.
- Recent earnings missed expectations, with quarterly EPS of $5.82 versus the $7.00 consensus and revenue of $781.5 million versus the expected $797.4 million. Despite that setback, analysts remain generally constructive, with an average target price of $619.42 and a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating.
United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) CEO Martine Rothblatt sold 9,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.40, for a total value of $5,466,300.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,513 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,311,180.20. This represents a 19.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.
United Therapeutics Stock Down 1.5%
NASDAQ:UTHR opened at $562.09 on Friday. United Therapeutics Corporation has a 52 week low of $272.12 and a 52 week high of $609.35. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $565.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $515.55. The stock has a market cap of $23.86 billion, a PE ratio of 20.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.60.
United Therapeutics (NASDAQ:UTHR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The biotechnology company reported $5.82 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.00 by ($1.18). United Therapeutics had a return on equity of 19.24% and a net margin of 40.62%.The company had revenue of $781.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $797.40 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.63 EPS. United Therapeutics's quarterly revenue was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Therapeutics Corporation will post 27.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
More United Therapeutics News
Here are the key news stories impacting United Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: United Therapeutics said it will present at the Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, keeping the company visible to investors and highlighting ongoing engagement with the healthcare investing community. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: The company also shared updates on its PHINDER screening study and its xenokidney/EXTEND trial, which could support the long-term growth story if the clinical programs continue to progress. Article Title Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: The stock remains supported by a generally constructive analyst backdrop, with several firms maintaining buy or outperform ratings and some raising price targets, which can help offset near-term concerns.
- Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data showed no meaningful change in available reported shares, so this does not appear to be a major trading catalyst.
- Negative Sentiment: CEO Martine Rothblatt sold additional United Therapeutics shares, following another recent sale, and CFO James Edgemond also sold stock. Multiple insider sales can weigh on investor sentiment, especially after the company’s recent earnings miss. Article Title Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: United Therapeutics recently reported quarterly EPS and revenue below expectations, which remains an overhang on the shares despite the company’s strong profitability.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of United Therapeutics from $569.00 to $626.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded United Therapeutics from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $575.00 to $735.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on United Therapeutics from $575.00 to $600.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on United Therapeutics from $525.00 to $625.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of United Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, United Therapeutics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $619.42.
Get Our Latest Report on United Therapeutics
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UTHR. AE Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Therapeutics by 396.3% in the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,288 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $1,798,000 after buying an additional 3,424 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC grew its stake in United Therapeutics by 194.7% in the third quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 4,503 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $1,888,000 after purchasing an additional 2,975 shares in the last quarter. Optimize Financial Inc bought a new position in United Therapeutics in the third quarter worth approximately $444,000. Tobam grew its stake in United Therapeutics by 183.9% in the third quarter. Tobam now owns 7,646 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $3,205,000 after purchasing an additional 4,953 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Leuthold Group LLC grew its stake in United Therapeutics by 41.4% in the fourth quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 10,672 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $5,200,000 after purchasing an additional 3,126 shares in the last quarter. 94.08% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
United Therapeutics Company Profile
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Get Free Report)
United Therapeutics Corporation (NASDAQ: UTHR) is a biotechnology company dedicated to the development and commercialization of unique products to address life-threatening illnesses. The company's primary focus has been on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), where it has launched several therapies designed to improve functional capacity and quality of life for patients. Its marketed products include continuous infusion treprostinil (Remodulin), inhaled treprostinil (Tyvaso), oral treprostinil (Orenitram) and tadalafil (Adcirca), each tailored to different modes of administration and patient needs.
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