Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) Price Target Raised to $114.00
by Sarita Garza · The Markets DailyViking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX – Free Report) had its price objective raised by Canaccord Genuity Group from $107.00 to $114.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the biotechnology company’s stock.
Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $83.00 price target on the stock. BTIG Research reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Morgan Stanley set a $95.00 target price on Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price target on Viking Therapeutics from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Viking Therapeutics currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $97.88.
Check Out Our Latest Report on Viking Therapeutics
Viking Therapeutics Stock Performance
Shares of VKTX opened at $31.74 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.81 and a beta of 0.66. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $34.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.97. Viking Therapeutics has a 1 year low of $22.96 and a 1 year high of $43.15.
Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.21) by $0.11. The company’s revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.58) earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Viking Therapeutics will post -4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, CEO Brian Lian sold 148,517 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.32, for a total transaction of $4,948,586.44. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,572,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $85,713,734.12. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Greg Zante sold 21,217 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.47, for a total value of $710,132.99. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 212,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,102,467.88. The trade was a 9.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold a total of 187,951 shares of company stock valued at $6,268,442 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Viking Therapeutics
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.0% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 945 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Ballast Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 169.2% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,077 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares during the period. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Viking Therapeutics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 76.03% of the company’s stock.
Trending Headlines about Viking Therapeutics
Here are the key news stories impacting Viking Therapeutics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Viking reported a second-quarter loss of $1.10 per share, better than the $1.21 loss analysts expected. The company also said its Phase 3 VANQUISH 1 and VANQUISH 2 studies of injectable VK2735 are fully enrolled, while a Phase 3 study of oral VK2735 is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. VKTX Q2 earnings report
- Positive Sentiment: Management believes oral VK2735 could offer a differentiated option in the obesity market, potentially becoming the first oral dual GLP-1 agonist to reach the market. Investors are also awaiting maintenance-dosing data and additional clinical updates. VK2735 obesity pipeline update
- Positive Sentiment: Viking ended the quarter with approximately $502 million in cash and equivalents, providing funding for ongoing development. Canaccord Genuity also raised its price target from $107 to $114 and maintained a Buy rating. Canaccord price-target update
- Neutral Sentiment: The company registered a $500 million shelf offering. The financing would support VK2735 development and potential commercialization, but it also creates the possibility of share issuance and dilution. VKTX shelf registration article
- Negative Sentiment: Viking’s second-quarter net loss widened to $128.1 million from $0.58 per share a year earlier, driven by sharply higher R&D spending as its clinical pipeline expands. The company remains pre-revenue, leaving the stock dependent on future trial results and regulatory progress. Viking Q2 net-loss article
- Negative Sentiment: CEO Brian Lian, CFO Greg Zante and COO Marianna Mancini sold shares totaling roughly $6.3 million, although the filings said the transactions covered tax withholding from vested equity awards. The sales may nevertheless add short-term pressure. VKTX insider-sales report
About Viking Therapeutics
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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