Key Points
- CMO Joakim Wijkstrom sold 30,800 shares on March 2 at an average price of $8.27 for proceeds of $254,716, reducing his stake by 8.46% to 333,469 shares (valued at about $2.76M).
- Multiple senior insiders reportedly sold roughly $2.6M+ of stock around the same time (CEO, CFO, CMO and SVPs), with the transactions disclosed in SEC filings—an action that can create short‑term supply pressure and be viewed negatively by investors.
- By way of company context, VNDA trades near $8.03 after a quarterly EPS miss and negative margins, but the FDA has granted a formal evidentiary public hearing for Hetlioz’s sNDA in jet‑lag and analysts show a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of about $14.90 (some targets as high as $18–$24).
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VNDA - Get Free Report) CMO Joakim Wijkstrom sold 30,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.27, for a total transaction of $254,716.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 333,469 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,757,788.63. This represents a 8.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Stock Performance
VNDA traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $8.03. 221,009 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,844,654. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $7.56 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $474.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.15 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 2.39, a quick ratio of 2.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01. Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. has a 1-year low of $3.81 and a 1-year high of $9.60.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:VNDA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 11th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($2.39) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($2.18) by ($0.21). Vanda Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 102.02% and a negative return on equity of 23.85%. The company had revenue of $57.22 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $59.28 million. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. will post -1.12 earnings per share for the current year.
Trending Headlines about Vanda Pharmaceuticals
Here are the key news stories impacting Vanda Pharmaceuticals this week:
- Positive Sentiment: FDA granted a formal evidentiary public hearing to review CDER’s proposed refusal to approve Vanda’s sNDA for HETLIOZ in jet‑lag disorder — a rare, high‑visibility procedural win that gives Vanda a public forum to challenge the refusal and could materially improve approval odds if the hearing goes well. Vanda Announces FDA Grants Landmark Hearing for HETLIOZ
- Positive Sentiment: Truist initiated coverage with a "Buy" rating and an $18 price target (~119% upside vs. current levels) — a new bullish analyst voice that can attract buyers and volume. Truist starts Vanda at Buy $18 (Benzinga)
- Positive Sentiment: HC Wainwright reiterated a Buy and published 2027 quarterly EPS forecasts (and a $24 price target) — another sizable upside target that supports constructive sentiment among growth/biotech investors. HC Wainwright issues estimates, Buy $24 PT
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: while several firms maintain Buy/Overweight calls and high targets, there are recent downgrades and a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $14.90 — constructive overall but not unanimous. MarketBeat analyst summary
- Negative Sentiment: Multiple senior insiders sold sizable blocks of shares on/around March 2 (CEO, CFO, CMO, and SVPs combined disclosed sales totaling roughly $2.6M+) — coordinated insider selling often creates short‑term supply and can be perceived negatively by the market. Vanda’s Top Brass Quietly Unload a Wave of Shares (TipRanks)
- Negative Sentiment: SEC filings formally disclose the individual insider trades (CEO filing and others), making the sales official and giving investors precise sizes/prices to evaluate motives (tax, diversification, or signal). SEC filing — CEO ownership disclosure
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Vanda Pharmaceuticals
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Vanda Pharmaceuticals during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Bailard Inc. grew its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 16.2% in the second quarter. Bailard Inc. now owns 26,100 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock valued at $123,000 after purchasing an additional 3,631 shares during the period. Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 118,987 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 3,928 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 79,107 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $373,000 after purchasing an additional 4,533 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Savant Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals by 30.3% during the 3rd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 22,493 shares of the biopharmaceutical company's stock worth $112,000 after purchasing an additional 5,229 shares during the last quarter. 88.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
VNDA has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $5.00 to $7.50 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 31st. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals in a research report on Monday, January 5th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from $11.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 31st. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Vanda Pharmaceuticals from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Vanda Pharmaceuticals currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $14.90.
View Our Latest Report on Vanda Pharmaceuticals
About Vanda Pharmaceuticals
(
Get Free Report)
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases. The company's research and development efforts center on sleep-wake regulation, mood disorders, and movement disorders. Vanda's mission is to address unmet medical needs by advancing novel molecules through clinical trials and regulatory review.
Vanda's flagship commercial product is Hetlioz (tasimelteon), a melatonin receptor agonist approved by the U.S.
Further Reading

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