Key Points
- Insider purchase: Neil William Aubuchon bought 4,475 shares of Viking Therapeutics on March 10 at an average price of $33.50, a $149,912.50 transaction disclosed in an SEC filing, bringing his direct ownership to 4,475 shares.
- Recent performance: VKTX trades around the low $30s (opened $34.66), has a $4.0 billion market cap, a trailing loss (last quarter EPS -$1.38, missing estimates), and a 12‑month range of $18.92–$43.15.
- Market sentiment: Institutions own about 76% of the stock, and analysts show mixed views with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $87.80.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) insider Neil William Aubuchon purchased 4,475 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $33.50 per share, with a total value of $149,912.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider directly owned 4,475 shares of the company's stock, valued at $149,912.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
Viking Therapeutics Price Performance
Viking Therapeutics stock opened at $34.66 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $4.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -10.90 and a beta of 0.75. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 12 month low of $18.92 and a 12 month high of $43.15. The stock's 50-day moving average is $31.78 and its 200-day moving average is $32.35.
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.38) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.89) by ($0.49). During the same period last year, the firm posted ($0.32) earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -1.56 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Trading of Viking Therapeutics
A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VKTX. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 17,158 shares of the biotechnology company's stock worth $604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,233 shares in the last quarter. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at $165,000. Wick Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter valued at $115,000. Seven Fleet Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth $211,000. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth $1,242,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company's stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
VKTX has been the subject of several recent research reports. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 12th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $99.00 price target on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Viking Therapeutics from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. BTIG Research raised Viking Therapeutics to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $87.80.
Read Our Latest Analysis on Viking Therapeutics
About Viking Therapeutics
(
Get Free Report)
Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company's pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.
The company's lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor‐beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.
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