Assertio’s (ASRT) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at HC Wainwright
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemHC Wainwright reiterated their neutral rating on shares of Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT – Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. HC Wainwright currently has a $18.00 price target on the stock, down from their prior price target of $35.00.
Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on ASRT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Assertio in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Assertio from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, March 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Assertio from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Assertio currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ASRT
Assertio Stock Performance
Shares of ASRT stock opened at $18.02 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $13.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.40. Assertio has a twelve month low of $8.55 and a twelve month high of $20.45. The company has a market capitalization of $116.23 million, a P/E ratio of -3.71 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42.
Assertio (NASDAQ:ASRT – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, March 16th. The company reported ($1.86) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($3.05) by $1.19. Assertio had a negative return on equity of 30.26% and a negative net margin of 25.59%.The company had revenue of $13.54 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.20 million. Equities analysts forecast that Assertio will post -0.15 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Trading of Assertio
Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ASRT. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Assertio in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Assertio in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Rothschild Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Assertio in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $172,000. Perritt Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Assertio by 51.6% in the 3rd quarter. Perritt Capital Management Inc now owns 350,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $309,000 after buying an additional 119,281 shares during the period. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Assertio by 536.0% in the 3rd quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 381,584 shares of the company’s stock valued at $336,000 after buying an additional 321,584 shares during the period. 48.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Assertio News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Assertio this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Wall Street price‑target aggregation highlights large upside potential (Zacks notes a ~115% implied upside based on analyst targets), which could attract speculative buying and longer‑term interest. Does Assertio (ASRT) Have the Potential to Rally 115.05% as Wall Street Analysts Expect?
- Positive Sentiment: Assertio has sold SYMPAZAN® and additional branded products to Cosette Pharmaceuticals — a portfolio monetization move that should generate cash and simplify the commercial footprint (potentially positive for near‑term liquidity and margins). Cosette Pharmaceuticals Expands Branded Portfolio through Acquisition of SYMPAZAN® and Additional Products from Assertio
- Neutral Sentiment: Assertio updated FY‑2026 guidance, issuing revenue guidance roughly in a $110–$125M range versus a ~$111M consensus — guidance is near street expectations but the company left EPS guidance unclear in public notes, so impact is muted until further clarity is provided.
- Neutral Sentiment: HC Wainwright reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and cut its price target to $18 (from $35). The reaffirmation keeps the stock in a hold/neutral bucket despite the lower target.
- Negative Sentiment: Lake Street Capital downgraded Assertio from “buy” to “hold” and slashed its price target to $18 from $45 — a sharp target cut that signals weaker analyst conviction and can pressure near‑term demand. Lake Street downgrades Assertio Holdings (ASRT)
- Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose meaningfully in March to ~301,837 shares (~4.9% of shares outstanding; ~1.4 days to cover), indicating increased bearish positioning that can amplify downward moves if sentiment deteriorates.
- Negative Sentiment: A shareholder class‑action firm announced an investigation related to Assertio’s sale to Garda Therapeutics (the deal would pay $18.00 cash plus a contingent value right), introducing legal and closing‑risk uncertainty. Shareholder Alert: Investigation of Assertio Holdings, Inc.
- Negative Sentiment: The stock moved lower after‑hours on reports of a discounted buyout/deal structure, which likely contributed to immediate selling pressure and the recent downgrades. ASRT stock drops after-hours on discounted buyout deal
About Assertio
Assertio Therapeutics, Inc, formerly known as Depomed, is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including neuropathic pain, migraine and breakthrough cancer pain. The company’s commercial portfolio includes three FDA-approved products—Qutenza (8% capsaicin) for postherpetic neuralgia, Butrans (buprenorphine) transdermal system for chronic pain and Onsolis (fentanyl buccal soluble film) for breakthrough cancer pain—which are marketed primarily in the United States under licensing agreements with global partners.
In addition to its marketed therapies, Assertio maintains a pipeline of preclinical and clinical-stage candidates targeting a range of pain and neurological conditions.