Insider Selling: Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS) EVP Sells 20,106 Shares of Stock

by · The Markets Daily

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IONS – Get Free Report) EVP Shannon Devers sold 20,106 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $79.40, for a total value of $1,596,416.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 22,541 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,789,755.40. This trade represents a 47.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Stock Down 5.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:IONS traded down $4.29 during trading on Thursday, hitting $75.16. 2,969,718 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,316,031. Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $23.95 and a fifty-two week high of $86.74. The stock has a market cap of $12.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -30.80 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a current ratio of 3.83, a quick ratio of 3.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.76. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $81.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.89.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:IONS – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported ($1.41) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($1.23) by ($0.18). The firm had revenue of $203.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.07 million. Ionis Pharmaceuticals had a negative net margin of 40.36% and a negative return on equity of 68.82%. Ionis Pharmaceuticals’s quarterly revenue was down 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.66) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will post -3.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IONS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays started coverage on Ionis Pharmaceuticals in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $95.00 target price for the company. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $87.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $82.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners upped their price target on shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals from $102.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $89.00.

View Our Latest Stock Report on IONS

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. bought a new position in Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 198.4% during the 3rd quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 376 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. bought a new position in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Ionis Pharmaceuticals by 231.8% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 740 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 517 shares during the period. 93.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ionis Pharmaceuticals this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Leerink Partners raised its price target on IONS to $104, a bullish signal that can support the stock. Leerink Raises PT
  • Positive Sentiment: H.C. Wainwright maintained a “Buy” rating and a $110 price target while updating EPS forecasts (mixed quarter-by-quarter changes but a modestly improved FY2026 view), which can underpin longer-term investor confidence. HC Wainwright Buy
  • Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright published detailed EPS revisions for FY2026 and quarterly estimates (some quarters revised up, Q4 trimmed versus a prior view); the net impact is modestly positive for estimates but reflects continued negative EPS expectations for the year. HC Wainwright Estimates
  • Negative Sentiment: EVP C. Frank Bennett sold 85,089 shares at an average ~$79.23 (≈$6.74M), cutting his stake by ~51%. Large insider selling can signal liquidity-taking or reduced insider conviction and often pressures the stock. Bennett SEC Filing
  • Negative Sentiment: EVP Shannon L. Devers sold 20,106 shares at an average ~$79.40 (~$1.60M), reducing her position by ~47%, another notable insider exit. Devers SEC Filing
  • Negative Sentiment: Director Allene M. Diaz sold 54,878 shares at an average ~$79.35 (~$4.35M), leaving a very small residual holding (≈93.5% reduction), which is a material reduction from board-level ownership. Diaz SEC Filing
  • Negative Sentiment: Biogen announced upcoming presentations of new SMA data (high‑dose nusinersen, salanersen) — positive news for Biogen that could increase competitive pressure in SMA, an area relevant to Ionis’ pipeline. Biogen SMA Data

About Ionis Pharmaceuticals

(Get Free Report)

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of RNA-targeted therapies designed to modulate gene expression. The company’s proprietary antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) technology enables the selective binding of short synthetic strands of nucleic acids to messenger RNA (mRNA), thereby inhibiting or altering the production of disease-causing proteins. Ionis’ pipeline spans a range of therapeutic areas, including neurological disorders, cardiovascular conditions, metabolic diseases and rare genetic disorders.

Since its founding in 1989 by Dr.

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